2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Coleman is such a stud, I have convinced myself that a forward group of 12 Colemans would win the cup.

A forward group consisting of 1 Coleman has won 2 cups. Your math checks out. Its science.

[Willi Plett]

Originally Posted by Bingo

We've pretty much summarized the one slot two players needing retention about a half dozen times this morning.

You said that in so many less words than me. Lol

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Nichushkin actually spoke about the hotel incident in a Russian interview 2 offseasons ago.



The guy won a Stanley cup on a broken foot that required 10 screws to fix. I don't think anyone can question his actual compete level. As far as the substance abuse program, I don't think he has spoken in depth about it, but I'm guessing that pain management after a long cup run with drugs that make you feel superhuman is the culprit.

I think Nichushkin would be a very big piece for COL to lose, and a lot of teams need exactly that type of player in the playoffs. One that can shut down the opposition, play physical, and add some scoring.

Some players give it their all for a winning team, but can't muster the strength for a losing season. The Flames need players who can prove to be professionals when floating at the bottom of the barrel.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by savardandjokinen

After playing Dallas last night and looking more at their roster, their bottom 6 is underratedly bad. Coleman makes too much sense for them.

Top 6: Rantanen, Robertson, Hintz, Johnston, Duchene, Benn
Bottom 6 (and beyond): Steel, Bourque, Back, Blackwell, Faksa, Hryckowian, Erne, Bastian

I think their roster looks a lot better with a Bourque-Steel-Coleman third line

What can they send us for Coleman? Their draft capital is pretty much burned up. Doubt they cough up that 2027 1st given the 2026 and 2028 are gone. Their 2nd is going to be really late. Their 2026 2nd and Seattle's 2026 3rd? Wipes out their draft for 2026. Seems like a tough fit. Tampa might have better assets at this point.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Niemo

To those of you who keep saying we can wait until next offseason for Kadri and/or Coleman - technically you are right, but I disagree whole heartedly that offers will improve. We aren't holding onto 30 year olds here. Next year, they will be 36 and 35 yrs old and most likely worse than this year.
...

I think that is well understood. I would prefer they trade both. But i'm aware of and appreciate the complexities in finding a fit.
And when we hear "The Flames aren't willing to retain" that may mean at all for Kadri, because they don't want to tie up a retention spot for 3 more years, or it may mean they aren't willing to retain for the prices being offered.

The real question is can they trade them both, with only 1 retention spot. And if not, which one do they choose to trade.

If they don't trade either I will be disappointed.

[Niemo]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think that is well understood. I would prefer they trade both. But i'm aware of and appreciate the complexities in finding a fit.
And when we hear "The Flames aren't willing to retain" that may mean at all for Kadri, because they don't want to tie up a retention spot for 3 more years, or it may mean they aren't willing to retain for the prices being offered.

The real question is can they trade them both, with only 1 retention spot. And if not, which one do they choose to trade.

If they don't trade either I will be disappointed.

Agreed. However, after Kadri and Coleman, I don't really foresee requiring retention spots to trade anyone away anymore - at least not 2. Frost, Farabee, Weegar.....really in the next 3 years after this (if they retain on Kadri), we don't have much more pieces to sell that would garner near premium prices.....let alone 2.

[Toast_Man]

Kadri and Coleman can be the Flames own rentals for this years playoff push!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Conroy needs to be fired and a capable GM inserted before the deadline. Let's get Phil Esposito in ASAP. Or Rogie Vachon.

Garth Snow.

[Niemo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Garth Snow.

Hire the Barn Burner trio as the GM.

[savardandjokinen]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

What can they send us for Coleman? Their draft capital is pretty much burned up. Doubt they cough up that 2027 1st given the 2026 and 2028 are gone. Their 2nd is going to be really late. Their 2026 2nd and Seattle's 2026 3rd? Wipes out their draft for 2026. Seems like a tough fit. Tampa might have better assets at this point.

I agree they don't have much, but I think there's a combo of something you can make work.

Prospects of interest: Hemming, Schmidt, Bertucci
Young NHLers: Bischel (doubt it), Bourque
2026 2nd

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Dreger just confirmed again on Barn Burner that Kadri would be gone if Conroy was willing to retain salary. But at this point we are not willing to retain salary.

What a joke lol.

Basically all I take from that is that if Calgary was willing to eat 6-8M dollars, and waste a retention spot for four seasons on their #1 center and leading point producer without being fairly compensated to do so Kadri would have been dealt by now?

No ####.

[DJones]

I don't get why retention is such a sticking point.

Like we could take a bad contract back. Same thing really. An overpaid LD or Center would be okay

[NegativeSpace]

It should also be said that keeping dead cap space for another 3 years on Kadri, particularly when other younger core players may be coming up for raises and break out seasons risks regarding the cap flexibility that Conroy has worked so hard to get. Where are Parekh, Reschny, Whyttenbach, and this year's first round picks at? Are they eligible for raises? Have the broken out that we have a new core and are competitive? Conroy needs to be careful to simply jump on trades to get older players out without thinking through the long term implications.
Before some flame me, I'm not saying that he shouldn't trade Kadri and Coleman. I think that he should but only if the value of the trade off sets what the team is taking on in terms of cap and future implications.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Exactly.

I'm certainly not anti-youth ... I'm just not promote and give ice to someone that isn't ready.

The team seems to be pretty good at assessing things.

Honzek went from not making the team to carving out a big role.
Kuznetsov went from not making the team to a top four defenseman.
Gridin went from making the team, to more seasoning to PP1 and top six.

That's not a team holding anyone back.

I think if the argument was framed for what it was ... fans want action, they want trades and they get frustrated and lash out when they may not happen it would be a much calmer discussion.

I mean they put Kuznetsov on waivers at the start of the year. They could have lose him for nothing - so don't think that counts as a point in their favour of knowing who is or isn't ready.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Niemo

Agreed. However, after Kadri and Coleman, I don't really foresee requiring retention spots to trade anyone away anymore - at least not 2. Frost, Farabee, Weegar.....really in the next 3 years after this (if they retain on Kadri), we don't have much more pieces to sell that would garner near premium prices.....let alone 2.

We don't know that.

The Flames have a lot of cap space and vets moving out. They may sign a veteran dman and a veteran forward this summer to round out the roster on cheap one year deals and then wish they had retention slots to move them at the end of the season.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DJones

I don't get why retention is such a sticking point.

Like we could take a bad contract back. Same thing really. An overpaid LD or Center would be okay

Because contending teams want to add, not subtract or stay even. What's the bad contract on Dallas, or Colorado, or TB that's coming back for Coleman or Kadri? A guy that's overpaid and not contributing on a good team?

[NegativeSpace]

I don't see how people can be so certain about how the future will play out.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Niemo

Hire the Barn Burner trio as the GM.

Warner would be the best. He changes his opinion on players every week, and often suggests doing things that the CBA won't even allow you to do anymore like re-signing Andersson with a No Trade, and trading him before his next contract kicks in to a team he doesn't want to sign with.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I mean they put Kuznetsov on waivers at the start of the year. They could have lose him for nothing - so don't think that counts as a point in their favour of knowing who is or isn't ready.

Not something I would have done.

But promoting him and entrenching him in a top four role after the fact certainly still counts as to exactly what I was saying.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Niemo

Agreed. However, after Kadri and Coleman, I don't really foresee requiring retention spots to trade anyone away anymore - at least not 2. Frost, Farabee, Weegar.....really in the next 3 years after this (if they retain on Kadri), we don't have much more pieces to sell that would garner near premium prices.....let alone 2.

If anything this year shows us how quickly those slots can be used up. They need to be considered valuable particularly if you are locking one down for multiple years.

Frost
Farabree
Weegar
Shark
Whitecloud
Hanley
Players acquired between now and 3 years.

That's the expanded list. Not saying you'll need to retain on all, but 3 years is a long time and there will be a lot of roster turnover still.