2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

I hope we see Conroy get creative and see if he can convince some teams to one stop shop.

Pachal or Hanley + Lomberg for ?? Would Buffalo be interested in adding those guys? If disrupting the room/chemistry is a concern then Lombo and Hanley would be great additions, both have been fantastic in the room here and are warriors on the ice.

Buffalo has a collection of players who were drafted from the old regime and may pop elsewhere, especially given their newfound success.

Isak Rosen is a name I wonder we could get. At end of elc, needs a new contract and has done everything in minors. Is there room for him in the top 6 in Buffalo? Would we worth bringing in for an audition.

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Panarin was also held out for trade reasons before he was dealt. We have seen it many times in the past years as well.

It is especially true that you should hold players out when you are near the bottom of the standings and looking to rebuild. Because every point is crucial to the race for a top 3 pick, and playing Kadri and Coleman is actively hurting our future.

They both also play a style that can easily lead to injuries, especially Coleman. It is just smart to sit them.

The thing you're missing is the player has to agree to sit out. Coleman doesn't seem like a guy that will sit out for a long period of time, especially since he didn't play much prior to the Olympic break.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Depth defenseman you say…

https://twitter.com/user/status/2028107999529603294

Looking at PuckPedia, Buffalo needs a RHD with Timmins on IR. Brayden Pachal is a great fit.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Panarin was also held out for trade reasons before he was dealt. We have seen it many times in the past years as well.

It is especially true that you should hold players out when you are near the bottom of the standings and looking to rebuild. Because every point is crucial to the race for a top 3 pick, and playing Kadri and Coleman is actively hurting our future.

They both also play a style that can easily lead to injuries, especially Coleman. It is just smart to sit them.

The Flames don’t have to trade either of them and probably won’t if the value isn’t there. Conroy has some grace from me after Markstrom. We will see!

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I doubt any offer is "going to make the Flames better".

And, of course, I mean immediately.

That wording is interesting. Makes it sound more like a hockey trade

[Nelson]

Darren Dreger’s verb tense is present, but I wouldn’t assume he spoke his words that carefully. Later in that conversation, he specifically said the return would likely be futures oriented, as Boomer asked. So, I think Dreger meant the return will make the Flames better in the future.

[Heavy Jack]

lol ok Rhett, we get that you want them to sit and why but can you see the perspective of not sitting them as well?? Conroy has to have a firm and steady hand here, needs to continue to push for his price to be met, at least that’s how I see it. There are far more players rumoured to be on the block that are playing than those that aren’t playing. Trochek is still playing, are NYR wrong for playing him? I think with Panarin it’s what I was getting at with Myers and even Ras to a degree, a certain style of trade (sign and trade) wasn’t going to be possible, a rental price was met, Panarin was held out during this stage of trade negotiations. If the players discussed aren’t at that stage it makes no sense to me to sit them; sitting them certainly isn’t going to improve the price, if anything it could hurt it. I applaud our GM’s courage to play these guys while holding firm on his ask, more and more it seems to be an approach that is working for Conny. You wanted Rasmus traded for a month of yesterdays until GMCC finally pulled the trigger and I’d argue he got a better price for waiting versus jettisoning the asset in November or December. The good gm’s are willing to work through uncomfortable periods, its a chess game and to me Conroy hasn’t flinched in a long while now when it comes to trading assets and he’s getting better and better at the dance of it all.

[Niemo]

Originally Posted by Bonded

The Flames don’t have to trade either of them and probably won’t if the value isn’t there. Conroy has some grace from me after Markstrom. We will see!

This is the line of thinking that had us go from "Flames have all the premium assets and control the market in a sellers market" just a couple months ago to "Its a buyers market, Flames need to wait until others go before they look at Kadri, etc. Offers aren't great no more." type narratives.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Niemo

This is the line of thinking that had us go from "Flames have all the premium assets and control the market in a sellers market" just a couple months ago to "Its a buyers market, Flames need to wait until others go before they look at Kadri, etc. Offers aren't great no more." type narratives.

No one bought anything a few months ago either

[Rhett44]

Well, according to Friedman it has gone from potentially a sellers market to a buyers market. We also could have asked Kadri to waive his NTC for Colorado last year and we would have had close to the Brock Nelson return.

It seems we wait too long often.

[Macindoc]

Once you start to sit a player for trade reasons, if no deal is in place, their value drops daily, like a house that’s been on the market too long. Potential buyers know that you need to sell, but also know that the fact that you haven’t sold means that you haven’t been getting good offers. So they make lowball offers, knowing that you might accept out of desperation.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Well, according to Friedman it has gone from potentially a sellers market to a buyers market. We also could have asked Kadri to waive his NTC for Colorado last year and we would have had close to the Brock Nelson return.

It seems we wait too long often.

What if Kadri elected not to waive though? So many of your frustrations are based on unknown outcomes and what if scenarios. If the Flames don’t trade any or just 1 player at the deadline you can go ahead and be frustrated at that point (I personally won’t sweat because again I bring up the Markstrom scenario where Conroy dummied Fitzgerald anyways in the offseason) but with 5 days still to go I don’t think you can be establishing absolutes at this point. Buyers are trying to reduce their price as well and likely are floating things out to the media to aid this but at the end of the day there is a ticking clock and a game of chicken that will need to be played here, I hope Conroy continues to take the approach he’s taken and hold firm on his asks.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

Once you start to sit a player for trade reasons, if no deal is in place, their value drops daily, like a house that’s been on the market too long. Potential buyers know that you need to sell, but also know that the fact that you haven’t sold means that you haven’t been getting good offers. So they make lowball offers, knowing that you might accept out of desperation.

As long as there is more than one buyer, that strategy doesn't work all that well, as one team will make a legitimate offer.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Niemo

This is the line of thinking that had us go from "Flames have all the premium assets and control the market in a sellers market" just a couple months ago to "Its a buyers market, Flames need to wait until others go before they look at Kadri, etc. Offers aren't great no more." type narratives.

Standings and the market change almost daily, this gets even more volatile as the deadline approaches. Patience; Friedman keeps being thrown out there like he’s the ultimate authority for those who have adopted a pessimistic take on this deadline, well Friedman also stated Craig Conroy has done quite well for himself with his patient approach.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

Once you start to sit a player for trade reasons, if no deal is in place, their value drops daily, like a house that’s been on the market too long. Potential buyers know that you need to sell, but also know that the fact that you haven’t sold means that you haven’t been getting good offers. So they make lowball offers, knowing that you might accept out of desperation.

Right on the money here. As a seller, you don’t want to appear desperate, teams will circle like vultures around a carcass. Hold firm Conroy, ignore the noise.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

Once you start to sit a player for trade reasons, if no deal is in place, their value drops daily, like a house that’s been on the market too long. Potential buyers know that you need to sell, but also know that the fact that you haven’t sold means that you haven’t been getting good offers. So they make lowball offers, knowing that you might accept out of desperation.

Every team knows we need to sell these players regardless of whether they sit. Otherwise, we are a rebuilding team stuck with an aging asset who is losing value.

These GMs aren't dumb, well maybe the Oilers one is. But every GM should know we are looking to trade Coleman and Kadri. It isn't a secret.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Niemo

This is the line of thinking that had us go from "Flames have all the premium assets and control the market in a sellers market" just a couple months ago to "Its a buyers market, Flames need to wait until others go before they look at Kadri, etc. Offers aren't great no more." type narratives.

I don’t think Conroy is holding off on making a trade where he thinks he has fair value. He can’t force a trade to a place where the player won’t go

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Every team knows we need to sell these players regardless of whether they sit. Otherwise, we are a rebuilding team stuck with an aging asset who is losing value.

These GMs aren't dumb, well maybe the Oilers one is. But every GM should know we are looking to trade Coleman and Kadri. It isn't a secret.

How do you see the whole Markstrom scenario then? If we’d taken your approach we aren’t getting the 18 OA Reschny an Bahl, we would have got a desperation return at the deadline. Markstrom didn’t lose any value either heading into the offseason, many see that trade as an overpay from Devils even at the time let alone now.

You do you though Rhett, it’s the same tired worrying that you post ad nauseam and when examples are shown that don’t support your narrative you don’t respond.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

How do you see the whole Markstrom scenario then? If we’d taken your approach we aren’t getting the 18 OA Reschny an Bahl, we would have got a desperation return at the deadline. Markstrom didn’t lose any value either heading into the offseason, many see that trade as an overpay from Devils even at the time let alone now.

You do you though Rhett, it’s the same tired worrying that you post ad nauseam and when examples are shown that don’t support your narrative you don’t respond.

Markstrom was a bit different. The Devils badly wanted him, Brodeur had been pushing to get him for months. They were convinced they were a cup contender with this transaction.

I don't know that any teams are badly looking to get Kadri right now.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Markstrom was a bit different. The Devils badly wanted him, Brodeur had been pushing to get him for months. They were convinced they were a cup contender with this transaction.

I don't know that any teams are badly looking to get Kadri right now.

Based on? Again, even if teams aren’t willing to meet the price today doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the offseason, especially when flames have retention slot flexibility again which seems to be a sticking point in the rumours of teams being interested in him.