2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Aarongavey]

David Jiracek traded for Bobby Brink.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yegor
Farabree
Coleman (if not dealt)
Frost
Zary
Whitecloud
Maata

That's 7, just looking at the roster today. Do we think any of the above are apart of the team when it's ready to compete?

And the answer also would be "players that aren't even on the roster today, acquired via deals and signings".

Yegor - 4 years - I doubt you want to retain on him for multiple seasons, so Kadri's contract is up before his UFA season
Coleman - 1 year left - he's one of the retention spots next year
Frost - 1 year left - 1 year left - maybe a retention spot next year
Zary - 3 years left - don't see them retaining on him until he's a pending UFA
Whitecloud - 2 years left
Maatta - 2 years left

The reality is they should be able to make due with two retention spots the next three seasons, and I'd argue Kadri is the most important asset to use a retention spot on.

Worry about the value you're getting for Kadri for sure, but I wouldn't be worried about tying up a retention spot on him at all, much like I have no regrets on tying one up with Markstrom.

It's the most important trade this org has left to make now that Weegar has been moved already.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yuck. Didn't even think of that.

Don’t think, just do. We need to trade him for whatever we can get just to show we actually want to rebuild. Trading 9 vets for picks and prospects is not enough yet 😂

[flambers]

With Kadri if he is not moved I can't imagine what type of player he is going to be with a struggling club that is likely bottom 5 next season

it won't be any easier in the summer in my opinion

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Yes, you retain until the contract is paid out. So if Kadri was bought out after next season the slot would be used for the 4 years after that

Oh, okay wow. this actually really helps magnify the risk and why they may be hesitant. the return has to be worthwhile

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Roko

Huby has a good chance of being on LTIR for a while.
And his contract isn’t getting moved anytime soon.. but we will also have 2 slots opening up this summer. So it’s not that wild.

They open up, but they open after the draft on July 1st. So sure they open up, but they don't help right now or at the draft. They will help at next years trade deadline.

[Stampede2TheCup]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Flames are likely to sign some vets in UFA the next couple of years to fill holes as they rebuild, they will likely have to overpay a bit to attract talent. It would be beneficial to have retention slots to flip those players late in the year for additional assets. Those slots have value, they shouldn't be tied up unless the team is getting solid value back.

Exactly, they also may take on bad contracts in trades that could be flipped later with retention. Players on our roster like Jiri mentioned also.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yegor
Farabree
Coleman (if not dealt)
Frost
Zary
Whitecloud
Maata

That's 7, just looking at the roster today. Do we think any of the above are apart of the team when it's ready to compete?

And the answer also would be "players that aren't even on the roster today, acquired via deals and signings".

Farabee - 2 more years $5MM
Coleman (if not dealt) - 1 more year $4.9MM
Frost - 1 more year $4.375MM
Zary - 2 more years $3.775MM
Whitecloud - 2 more years $2.75MM
Maata - 2 more years $3.5MM

None of those are "long" contracts.
Further, the highest value is $5MM.
Not sure those will require retention, nor should you really be planning to acquire players expecting to retain on.

If all of those contracts simply age out, none of them will be on the roster when we are truly competitive, unless you see us getting miraculously better in 2 years.

[trackercowe]

Is Kadri to Colorado 100% dead with them acquiring Roy? They should be going all-in this year, and if Mackinnon wanted Kadri back you gotta think management really wants to make that happen.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

The hardest part of being a fan of a team is recognizing when you have a diminishing asset that needs to be moved. Both Coleman and Kadri (especially Kadri) are diminishing assets and need to be moved ASAP. Unless you want to ride them to end of their contracts and accept you get nothing for them, they are not going to be worth more than they are right now. Take what you can get and be happy with it. The team is going nowhere with them, so get the best future assets you can and have more chances of fortifying the team long term.

On retention and Murray Edwards, Edwards needs to piss off and not worry about what is retained. This guy's companies blow more money in a year on dry holes than all the money the Flames will retain in moved salaries. Just get the deals done and quit ####ing around.

You see Coleman falling off a cliff in the next calendar year? That's quite a call.

Kadri to the end of his contract for sure. Kadri to June? Not sure on that one either.

Not saying you're wrong, but just not pretending I know.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

David Jiracek traded for Bobby Brink.

Jiracek is a real cautionary tale for folks who want to trade for these top picks who have sucked for most of the start of their career.

That trade tree for Minnesota is now

1st round pick, 2nd round pick, 3rd round pick and 4th round pick for Bobby Brink and a 5th round pick.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

That’s exactly the type of language I overheard him use over the phone with a GM a long time ago. He said “it’s your budget, sign whoever you want” with the unspoken but definitely implied requirement that there had better be good value there.

I can 100% and unequivocally confirm those were the marching orders back when I was an insider...

[SuperMatt18]

Different question is what's the value of keeping Kadri at this point?

- He's not going to help long term when the team is a contender again

- I don't think he's going to be happy to be playing here on a true rebuilding team next year and he's not exactly the type who's just going to work hard and keep quiet about that

- His value is unlikely to increase as a depreciating asset value, the most valuable remaining portion of his career is this playoff run to a team

- His counting stats won't be better next year either as this team will struggle to generate offense after moving our two best puck moving dmen and with Huberdeau unlikely to be ready to start next season

These are all things that have to be considered too.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Yes, you retain until the contract is paid out. So if Kadri was bought out after next season the slot would be used for the 4 years after that

This doesn't seem right. I think retention only lasts for the length of the signed contract, and whatever the team does (including buyout) after acquiring that player would have no impact on the team that traded him. I don't see how it could.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Sure but then that means you likely have to accept Kadri playing out his contract here or taking a lesser return.

The market will dictate what the value of Kadri is without retention vs with retention and it appears the market right now is telling the Flames there is very little value without retention.

I personally don't think that improves at the draft where you no longer have what is likely the most productive playoff run of his contact left to sweeten the pot.

So the question is what is the value of Kadri without retention vs the value of Kadri with retention vs the value of just keeping Kadri.

It sounds like the value of Kadri with retention is a 1st + ??? ... but the Flames want more than what's even offered.

The value of Kadri without retention at this point is unknown because doesn't sound like the Flames have an offer...but my guess is you're not getting a 1st in that scenario.

And then there is the value of Kadri to the Flames...which also might be diminished if the player is frustrated and doesn't want to be here anymore...especially with Weegar and Coleman gone too.

Or Kadri is a summer trade with the current slot used to move Coleman.

[Toonage]

TSN discussing ping pong right now

Excuse me. Table tennis.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

This doesn't seem right. I think retention only lasts for the length of the signed contract, and whatever the team does (including buyout) after acquiring that player would have no impact on the team that traded him. I don't see how it could.

If the Flames were to retain 50% on Kadri and he gets bought out, they are responsible for 50% of the buyout cost. Both actual cost and cap hit of the buyout.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

If the Flames were to retain 50% on Kadri and he gets bought out, they are responsible for 50% of the buyout cost. Both actual cost and cap hit of the buyout.

But does it utilize a retention slot for this extended timeframe? That would be insanely prohibitive.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Or Kadri is a summer trade with the current slot used to move Coleman.

I really don't see the value for Kadri being better in the summer.

I think the likelihood is that the difference in value between trading Coleman now vs in the summer is closer than the value in trading Kadri now vs the summer.

Teams will be less wary of those 37 and 38 year old seasons now knowing they are going to get a chance to win a cup this year.

After July 1 I think teams will be even more hesitant to take on the back half of Kadri's contract knowing you have no idea if you get even 1 productive season out of him.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

This doesn't seem right. I think retention only lasts for the length of the signed contract, and whatever the team does (including buyout) after acquiring that player would have no impact on the team that traded him. I don't see how it could.

https://puckpedia.com/salary-cap/ans...20the%20buyout.

It is correct

If a team retains salary on a player and that player is later bought out by a different team, does the player still count as taking up a salary retention slot after being bought out?

Answer


Once a player is bought out, the retained cap hit is converted to a buy-out cap hit for the player that was traded/bought-out. The contract still counts as one of the team's 3 permitted active retained transactions for the duration of the buyout.

So the Avs could have traded for Kadri, bought him out after next season and they would be on the hook for 4 seasons at 1.87 million and the Flames would have a retention slot being used for 4 seasons and it would cost the Flames 460,000 dollars.