2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Robert Thomas is another example.

Yeah. I could see him making a play for Thomas. That would be a really good fit. The ask, however, sounds like it might even be higher than the Quinn Hughes return.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Nelson

I also listened to Francis and Steinberg’s talk from Friday. They think the deadline might be relatively quiet for the Flames and:

-Coleman gets traded;
-One of Lomberg/Hanley/Pachal gets traded;
-Kadri is unlikely to be traded before the deadline, but he will be traded in the off-season or next season; and
-Weegar and Whitecloud are even less likely than Kadri to be traded.

Hopefully they are wrong. That would be brutal to keep Kadri.

[Roko]

Yeah Coleman and Kadri both need to go. Keeping either is a mistake big time

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Hopefully they are wrong. That would be brutal to keep Kadri.

Lack of retention slots, limited trade partners and other Centers on the market make it a tough deal. Like Markstrom a couple seasons ago it might be a better return in the offseason and a framework of a deal could be in place from the deadline.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Knut

Lack of retention slots, limited trade partners and other Centers on the market make it a tough deal. Like Markstrom a couple seasons ago it might be a better return in the offseason and a framework of a deal could be in place from the deadline.

Kadri isn't getting any younger. And it would really hurt our chances at getting a top 3 pick this year.

I really hope they can make a trade work.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Roko

Yeah Coleman and Kadri both need to go. Keeping either is a mistake big time

How can you say it's a mistake big time without knowing the returns?
If the best they can get is a 2nd round pick, should they still do it? What if they have to use a retention slot and can still only get a 2nd?

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

How can you say it's a mistake big time without knowing the returns?
If the best they can get is a 2nd round pick, should they still do it? What if they have to use a retention slot and can still only get a 2nd?

If the best they can get is a 2nd, I don't think they can get more next year.

I would trade him regardless.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

How can you say it's a mistake big time without knowing the returns?
If the best they can get is a 2nd round pick, should they still do it? What if they have to use a retention slot and can still only get a 2nd?

While there are no guarantees obviously, the potential improvement to our draft pick might be more valuable than any difference in return between what they see now or what they see in the summer for Kadri.

Sometimes you get to the point where you just need to act. Not saying they've absolutely gotten to that point, but I think the argument can be made.

[Royle9]

From the offers I heard, I’d be surprised if CGY held on to Kadri, but I could be wrong.
I just don’t see them getting better.

If CGY does hang on, its solely because ownership doesn’t want to pay for buyout purposes.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

If the best they can get is a 2nd, I don't think they can get more next year.

I would trade him regardless.

Thanks. I appreciate that POV.
i can see the argument to move him for a 2nd if that's all you can get w/o using retention. If you are using a retention slot and can only get a 2nd, it's not worth it, in my mind. I'd rather keep the retention slot or use it on Coleman.

[colbym72]

Originally Posted by Royle9

From the offers I heard, I’d be surprised if CGY held on to Kadri, but I could be wrong.
I just don’t see them getting better.

If CGY does hang on, its solely because ownership doesn’t want to pay for buyout purposes.

Can you share who the teams or roughly what kind of packages are available?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

While there are no guarantees obviously, the potential improvement to our draft pick might be more valuable than any difference in return between what they see now or what they see in the summer for Kadri.

Sometimes you get to the point where you just need to act. Not saying they've absolutely gotten to that point, but I think the argument can be made.

Yup and again I understand that, but the retention spot, in and of itself has value that has to be considered. Particularly since it would be used for multiple seasons. That also has to be factored in.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yup and again I understand that, but the retention spot, in and of itself has value that has to be considered. Particularly since it would be used for multiple seasons. That also has to be factored in.

For sure. But it can also be substituted by bringing a contract back. And that being the case, it shouldn't be too big of a hurdle.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Who/what else would they retain on in the near future?

Huberdeau isn't tradable.

Have to be smart, but I wouldn't have an issue with retention if it gets Kadri a landing spot and a trade done. And it goes without saying that the return would need to be in line with market value for a 0.75 PPG 2C.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

For sure. But it can also be substituted by bringing a contract back. And that being the case, it shouldn't be too big of a hurdle.

Perhaps. But a lot of contending teams aren't looking to subtract off their roster. So we can say that's the solution, but in practice? Maybe not.

And the other wrinkle is some teams want retention because they aren't just worried about the cap implications for this year, but also the rest of the years on the deal.

For instance let's say a deal could be made with Montreal.
One could say great - send Laine back the other way to even the cap out. Calgary can easily absorb him.

But his contract ends. Kadri's goes on. So the Habs get no cap relief beyond this season.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Who/what else would they retain on in the near future?

Huberdeau isn't tradable.

Have to be smart, but I wouldn't have an issue with retention if it gets Kadri a landing spot and a trade done.

The issue is Coleman.

Also, it's a BIG retention ticket because it is 3 years. If you're giving it, you have to get something valuable back. And that poses a huge challenge to the trade for sure.

(which is why I think a Kadri trade miught be easier with a cap dump coming back, as opposed to salary retention)

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Who/what else would they retain on in the near future?

Huberdeau isn't tradable.

Have to be smart, but I wouldn't have an issue with retention if it gets Kadri a landing spot and a trade done. And it goes without saying that the return would need to be in line with market value for a 0.75 PPG 2C.

For the right return absolutely. That's what I'm pushing on though. Is it worth giving up that retention slot going forward for a meager return?

Guys they may want to use retention slots on going forward:
- Weegar
- Frost
- Yegor
- Farabree
- Whitecloud

We should now see how easy it is to put yourself in a situation where you don't have enough retention slots. They have to be managed and value attached to them.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

A salary dump to balance out the money would make sense, packaged with the key assets they're looking for.

Without knowing more details I don't see why it's an insurmountable issue.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Perhaps. But a lot of contending teams aren't looking to subtract off their roster. So we can say that's the solution, but in practice? Maybe not.

And the other wrinkle is some teams want retention because they aren't just worried about the cap implications for this year, but also the rest of the years on the deal.

For instance let's say a deal could be made with Montreal.
One could say great - send Laine back the other way to even the cap out. Calgary can easily absorb him.

But his contract ends. Kadri's goes on. So the Habs get no cap relief beyond this season.

We can throw around hypotheticals forever. But that's what negotiations are for - trades require creativity. It's easy to list the challenges

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Royle9

From the offers I heard, I’d be surprised if CGY held on to Kadri, but I could be wrong.
I just don’t see them getting better.

If CGY does hang on, its solely because ownership doesn’t want to pay for buyout purposes.

Would be disappointing if that ends up derailing a Kadri trade before the deadline. Though I could absolutely see it going that way. I have no idea what is being offered but would not surprise me if the offers for no/little retention are something like 2nd + C-prospect while the offers for max retention would be something like 1st + 2nd + B-prospect. To most of us fans, that’s a good trade to make to move Kadri now… get more 1st round picks and prevent worsening the teams’ draft pick. But, ultimately, it’s Conroy asking the owner to pay $10.5 million for a late 1st round round pick.