2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I think both extremes of the Huberdeau discussion can be quite silly.

I think he would certainly be better on a team with more offensive talent.
But I don't think he's ever going to be the 110 point player he was.
His value is never going to increase, he's aging.

But he's just not a concern. He's a good guy. He works hard. Makes some good plays.

There are plenty of things to worry about higher on my list than Huberdeau.

The only concern I can agree with is that at some point he is taking top 6 minutes away from a young player. But the forward pipeline, apart from Gridin, is still developing. Honzek seems more suited to a 3rd line role, unless we suddenly see more offense from him.

Plus it's the problem you want to have. You want the younger players eventually pushing against a guy like Huberdeau for more ice, more premium opportunities, more PP time, etc. Does that mean you eventually have a $11M 3rd liner/PP specialist. Maybe. And that's not great.

But I don't think that even is a possibility for a couple more years minimum.

So I agree, it's not a problem that needs to be solved now. And maybe at some point, years down the road, there's another way he can go away (retirement, trade for another problem contract). Right now there is simply no out available.

[saillias]

I just think it's going to come to a head sooner than people think. Say Gridin is ready now and you get McKenna or Stenberg from the draft. That's 2 more top 6 left shots. Suddenly it's actually a problem.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by D as in David

And if n ot a Whitecloud, how about a Weegar?

This is a wee Gar....does that count?




And agree with Bingo on Huberdeau.....this club has so many more issues to deal with moving forward than worrying about him.

Hopefully there comes a time in 3 or 4 years where its a problem, but it will be a lot easier to deal with then as well.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by saillias

I just think it's going to come to a head sooner than people think. Say Gridin is ready now and you get McKenna or Stenberg from the draft. That's 2 more top 6 left shots. Suddenly it's actually a problem.

Perhaps. But that's a problem I'll happily take and then figure it out.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

A buyout of Huberdeau makes ZERO sense. If you want him off the roster, just put him in the pressbox and keep paying the $10.5M, that will make it go away faster than a buyout would.

If you need cap space and a roster spot in 3 or 4 years, you can buy him out then, at a much more palatable price.

This is exactly it, if you told him his playing days are done and said he’ll be healthy scratched for the next 5 years it would crush him. Make him show up to practices and training but he never sees the ice again. Then one of 3 things happens, either he does nothing and continues to collect a paycheque on the sidelines, he refuses to report to practice and you have grounds to cancel his contract or he agrees to mutual contract termination and you can give his salary cap space each year to whoever you wish on short term contracts.

[SuperMatt18]

There were also rumours with Huberdeau that he's been injured all year from some sketchy sources online - but also don't get why it would be made up.

And it wouldn't surprise me because a lot of his success last year was going to dirty areas - but if he's fighting a back issue it's tough to go into those spots and take that punishment.

[Vinny01]

https://www.thefourthperiod.com/jan-...ook-to-upgrade

Shane Wright in play for a top line forward. I don’t think Kadri or Coleman would be what the Kraken are looking for and I doubt either guy wants Seattle

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

We're in a tough spot retaining on Kadri, unless we wait until July 1st when Markstrom and Andersson's retention slots open up. Or, unless we are not retaining on Coleman at all.

Anyone know if retained salary can be traded?

For example, could Markstrom's retention be traded with Coleman to Dallas and the Flames retain on Coleman instead? I doubt it but I'm not sure why it wouldn't be allowed and would be another avenue for teams to get picks or make trades work.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by saillias

Convinced Huberdeau ends in a buy out and it's just a matter of how long it takes the Flame to realize it.

I don't think it's a wait until the Flames realize it situation. I think it's a wait until Huberdeau's contract is actively hampering the Flames and the deal with it situation. That contract isn't good but it isn't hurting them right now. If anything it's actively helping the Flames hit the cap floor. So why do anything?

We also have no idea where this team will be 3 years from now. We hope this is a competitive team and the cap space will mean something. Maybe Huberdeau is part of that success, or maybe he's sitting in the press box by that point. By then there will only be a few seasons left on his deal and most of the real dollars will already have been paid out, which would make that contract more attractive to rebuilding teams needing to hit the cap floor. And ultimately if they do need to buy Huberdeau out, which they might, then it would only be 4 year cap penalty instead of 10 year.

Time will solve this problem.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

There were also rumours with Huberdeau that he's been injured all year from some sketchy sources online - but also don't get why it would be made up.

And it wouldn't surprise me because a lot of his success last year was going to dirty areas - but if he's fighting a back issue it's tough to go into those spots and take that punishment.

Would be frustrating if he’s nursing a back injury and is not being shut down to heal/get surgery. We’ve seen this play out with other players and I never recall it being worth it to have them play through it. If it was true, he should definitely be healing now so that he can have a decent offseason to train and prepare for next year. Otherwise the excuse will be that he did not get to train properly over the summer because he had surgery/was healing… or that he struggled because he missed training camp next season.

Ever since what happened with Monahan, I hate to hear the idea of playing through an injury in the regular season. It’s admirable but, ultimately, never worth it for the player or the team.

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

There were also rumours with Huberdeau that he's been injured all year from some sketchy sources online - but also don't get why it would be made up.

And it wouldn't surprise me because a lot of his success last year was going to dirty areas - but if he's fighting a back issue it's tough to go into those spots and take that punishment.

I’m sure he’s more worried about how this will impact his golf game vs his hockey game.

[zztim81]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Would be frustrating if he’s nursing a back injury and is not being shut down to heal/get surgery. We’ve seen this play out with other players and I never recall it being worth it to have them play through it. If it was true, he should definitely be healing now so that he can have a decent offseason to train and prepare for next year. Otherwise the excuse will be that he did not get to train properly over the summer because he had surgery/was healing… or that he struggled because he missed training camp next season.

Ever since what happened with Monahan, I hate to hear the idea of playing through an injury in the regular season. It’s admirable but, ultimately, never worth it for the player or the team.

If his play continues to decline after the Olympic break and a couple weeks away i wouldn't be surprised if we hear that its a nagging injury and he gets shut down for the rest of the season. Its not ideal, but a spot will open up for another young guy to get some looks and hopefully he comes back to his form from last season next year when I think this team is ready to take a step forward again. His contract is a boat anchor and there isn't really any point trying to figure out how to move it out.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

https://www.thefourthperiod.com/jan-...ook-to-upgrade

Shane Wright in play for a top line forward. I don’t think Kadri or Coleman would be what the Kraken are looking for and I doubt either guy wants Seattle

Don't think Wright gets a top line forward

[Yeah_Baby]

yeah, no thanks to anyone from the Kraken roster.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Would be frustrating if he’s nursing a back injury and is not being shut down to heal/get surgery. We’ve seen this play out with other players and I never recall it being worth it to have them play through it. If it was true, he should definitely be healing now so that he can have a decent offseason to train and prepare for next year. Otherwise the excuse will be that he did not get to train properly over the summer because he had surgery/was healing… or that he struggled because he missed training camp next season.

Ever since what happened with Monahan, I hate to hear the idea of playing through an injury in the regular season. It’s admirable but, ultimately, never worth it for the player or the team.

If I'm correctly remembering the post about his injury, they were saying Huberdeau would tough it out until the Flames gave up on the season. If true, I think we're getting pretty close to that point where they shut him down.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by D as in David

If I'm correctly remembering the post about his injury, they were saying Huberdeau would tough it out until the Flames gave up on the season. If true, I think we're getting pretty close to that point where they shut him down.

Could be why they are giving Gridin a look.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

Anyone know if retained salary can be traded?

For example, could Markstrom's retention be traded with Coleman to Dallas and the Flames retain on Coleman instead? I doubt it but I'm not sure why it wouldn't be allowed and would be another avenue for teams to get picks or make trades work.

Not allowed.

[Macindoc]

According to LeBrun, the Rangers, who are publicly saying that they're tanking, are not going to ask J. T. Miller to waive his NTC unless he asks them for a trade first. So exactly the same as insiders have previously said about Kadri. But people will say that the Rangers are actively tanking, while the Flames aren't.

And yes, I also seem to recall hearing that Huberdeau would continue to play through an injury unless the Flames were clearly out of the playoffs. Which could be fairly soon.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

This is exactly it, if you told him his playing days are done and said he’ll be healthy scratched for the next 5 years it would crush him. Make him show up to practices and training but he never sees the ice again. Then one of 3 things happens, either he does nothing and continues to collect a paycheque on the sidelines, he refuses to report to practice and you have grounds to cancel his contract or he agrees to mutual contract termination and you can give his salary cap space each year to whoever you wish on short term contracts.

Actually two things will happen, he shows up and collects his paycheque and Calgary will never be able to sign a UFA again.

Plus, Calgary would never play such a game, they are well above that type of behaviour.

[Roko]

I would be interested in Shane Wright. I will be more interested in Alexis Lafrenière