2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

As good as Bedard is I’d rather have the picks.

I doubt any GM would feel that way.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I doubt any GM would feel that way.

Bedard v the picks maybe. Bedard v the picks and you have to get rid of almost anyone else who commands a decent RFA contract in two years? 20% of the cap space is a lot.

[D as in David]

Hold onto the picks, for sure.

Offer sheet Celebrini in 2027.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Bedard v the picks maybe. Bedard v the picks and you have to get rid of almost anyone else who commands a decent RFA contract in two years? 20% of the cap space is a lot.

IDK we already have a 17M player in the NHL...it would.be an overpay for sure but with the cap going up and having all his prime years it probably would be decent in the back half

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Bedard v the picks maybe. Bedard v the picks and you have to get rid of almost anyone else who commands a decent RFA contract in two years? 20% of the cap space is a lot.

I'm with you. This team is more than a Bedard away from being great. Best case scenario is he would be enough to get back into the mushy middle, worst case is the team is still near the bottom and some of the picks we give up are lottery picks.

Now isn't the time to try and rush the rebuild. It takes years and you need a few lottery picks before you can think of a move like this. What a waste it would be to start a rebuild just to try and pull out of it after a couple of seasons.

[dino7c]

Well in the scenario presented the Flames already have McKenna, Beadard is 20. Its not realistic but it wouldnt be rushing a rebuild you would have Beadard for his prime.

Flames are gonna be agressive though...this wont be 5 years of tanking like some seem to think IMO.

They already have Wolf, Zayne, ect.

[Caged Great]

The flames need a ton of things. That takes time. Going after Bédard just sabotages most of the good work they have done to try and short cut something that shouldn’t be short cut.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Bedard v the picks maybe. Bedard v the picks and you have to get rid of almost anyone else who commands a decent RFA contract in two years? 20% of the cap space is a lot.

Get rid of any one who gets a decent contract? Let's say his contract is $5M more than you would like.

That's getting rid of a Farabee or a Frost type player.

The cap is likely about $120M in 2 years, I don't think you need to get rid of everyone with another $100M left.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Well in the scenario presented the Flames already have McKenna, Bedard is 20. Its not realistic, but it wouldn't be rushing a rebuild, you would have Bedard for his prime.

Flames are gonna be aggressive though...this won't be 5 years of tanking like some seem to think IMO.

They already have Wolf, Zayne, etc.

Wolf, so far, has proven to be an average NHL goalie, at best.

Zayne has proven nothing yet, other than lots of potential.

IMO, Calgary needs to be patient in this rebuild, rushing it with bad UFA signings is a story we've already seen.

I agree though that getting Bedard at $20M is a fun way to go. He's just not coming to Calgary.

[YourMother]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Wolf, so far, has proven to be an average NHL goalie, at best.

Zayne has proven nothing yet, other than lots of potential.

IMO, Calgary needs to be patient in this rebuild, rushing it with bad UFA signings is a story we've already seen.

I agree though that getting Bedard at $20M is a fun way to go. He's just not coming to Calgary.

Weird take on Wolf. You’ve watched the kid play, right?

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by YourMother

Weird take on Wolf. You’ve watched the kid play, right?

His save percentage is .896 this season, and his Goals Saved Above average is negative and ranks him 62nd.

He's an NHL starter, but he hasn't been very good in the NHL, much less elite. Like most goalies, sometimes he looks great, other times, not so great.

Cooley has been the better goalie this year.

[united]

One week post-trade deadline update from The Athletic's 50,000 simulations of the remainder of the season.

Median finish: 31st place with 71 points, 10 points ahead of the Canucks and 4 behind the Blackhawks. The Rangers are Blues, forecasted to finish with 78 points apiece, are the only other teams forecasted to finish with fewer than 80 points.

Pick first: 13% of simulated seasons
Pick top five: 93% of simulated seasons
Pick top ten: 100% of simulated seasons
Make playoffs: 0% of simulated seasons (90 points to get in)

- Post-trade deadline, the Flames remain the worst team in the league on The Athletic's paper, narrowly behind the Canucks, with the Canucks having accrued an insurmountable lead with respect to actual points. But, the two of them are in a league of their own as the clear worst two teams in the League.

Originally Posted by united

Olympic break update from The Athletic's 50,000 simulations of the remainder of the season.

Median finish: 31st place with 72 points, 9 points ahead of the Canucks and 1 behind the Blackhawks, with the Blues and Rangers also forecasted to finish with fewer than 80 points.

Pick first: 12% of simulated seasons
Pick top five: 78% of simulated seasons
Pick top ten: 100% of simulated seasons
Make playoffs: 0% of simulated seasons (92 points to get in)

Other tidbits:
- Post Andersson trade, The Athletic has the Flames as the worst team in the league the rest of the way but the Canucks aren't far behind and have built an insurmountable lead.
- Post Panarin trade, the Kings are projected to bump the Oilers from 3rd in the Pacific to wild card #2 and a waste of 7 days with the Avalanche.
- The Maple Leafs sit at 21% to make the playoffs which is wonderful to see.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The flames need a ton of things. That takes time. Going after Bédard just sabotages most of the good work they have done to try and short cut something that shouldn’t be short cut.

Big if, but IF we got McKenna, then the biggest thing we would yet need is an offensively puck dominant center, and one with a killer shot would be even better.

Bedard is exactly that player. Unlikely that even winning a lottery and getting a 1st oa could get us a player as good as Bedard.

I would offersheet him in a heartbeat if that situation ever materialized.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The flames need a ton of things. That takes time. Going after Bédard just sabotages most of the good work they have done to try and short cut something that shouldn’t be short cut.

Except Bedard is 20 and a franchise player

None of the picks Conroy picked up so far would net him anyway

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Get rid of any one who gets a decent contract? Let's say his contract is $5M more than you would like.

That's getting rid of a Farabee or a Frost type player.

The cap is likely about $120M in 2 years, I don't think you need to get rid of everyone with another $100M left.

How much are you paying Parekh, Mckenna (or similar), Gridin, Kuznetsov, etc when their ELC run out? RFA contracts are getting pricey.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Well in the scenario presented the Flames already have McKenna, Beadard is 20. Its not realistic but it wouldnt be rushing a rebuild you would have Beadard for his prime.

Flames are gonna be agressive though...this wont be 5 years of tanking like some seem to think IMO.

They already have Wolf, Zayne, ect.

I believe in Conroy and his vision and actions I don't think he'll try to fast track this rebuild now that he's got the green light. At least I hope not.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Bedard v the picks maybe. Bedard v the picks and you have to get rid of almost anyone else who commands a decent RFA contract in two years? 20% of the cap space is a lot.

I don't think it is worth it if we got McKenna as we would be in the same boat in 3 years and Chicago would likely offer sheet him back and Mckenna can use Bedard's contract against the Flames.

Bedard at $20M vs just picking another top 5 pick and keeping the other 1sts? I would hold off. Bedard is unreal but playoffs his size and speed could prevent him from being a winner for quite a few years.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

His save percentage is .896 this season, and his Goals Saved Above average is negative and ranks him 62nd.

He's an NHL starter, but he hasn't been very good in the NHL, much less elite. Like most goalies, sometimes he looks great, other times, not so great.

Cooley has been the better goalie this year.

"As of mid-March 2026, the 2025-26 NHL league-average goalie save percentage is .896. This marks a historically low level of league-wide goaltending performance compared to recent seasons"

And that is on the team with the worst roster in the NHL.

Give him an average roster and hed be in the top 10 level.

[musth]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Hold onto the picks, for sure.

Offer sheet Celebrini in 2027.

He and his family is from the area. He's not going anywhere.

[SuperMatt18]

If Bedard could be had by not offer sheeting and you could get him for something like:

Coronato
Vegas 2026 1st
Vegas 2027 1st
Colorado 2028 1st
NYR 2026 2nd
OTT 2026 2nd
Avs 2026 2nd

Or something like that then I'd do it in a heartbeat - I just wouldn't want to give up the Flames own picks.

But it will never happen. Bedard will sign like $13M x 8 or something like that with Chicago this offseason.