2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Wolven

The reason I think / hope the Andersson trade hasn't happened yet is because Conroy's asking price is a young C and that he is sticking to it.

Also, just to state it again.... Top pair RHS D are incredibly rare and acquiring one with under $3M cap hit is impossible. People keep trying to diminish or dismiss Andersson's value in a ridiculous hope to reduce future disappointment but with very little effort to try and understand what his value may actually be. It is an odd exercise of wanting to see something happen while also burying one's head in the sand and disagreeing with anyone that is trying to figure things out.

Most of the pushback you have been getting is around proposals that turned Andersson into the 2nd overall or Johnston. If Conroy’s price for Andersson is a young C with top line potential potential then we likely see him go at the deadline for a Hanifin type return. Hopefully a GM on the other end pays up but it’s pretty hard to see that kind of player coming back from a contender.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I agree with Sandman that there may not be an "official mandate".

But I do believe the owners do not have the patience needed to build a contender. So we likely will need Parekh to become elite and hit on some other picks.

I do not believe the owners will be happy with years and years of missing the playoffs.

Wouldn't said impatient ownership have directed Conroy to add at last year's deadline with the team in a playoff spot, and then again this summer with the team missing out by a point last year and brining all the players back?

Wouldn't said impatient ownership have said bring back or re-sign Andersson to keep that team together that you plan to supplement with the $20M in cap space?

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Most of the pushback you have been getting is around proposals that turned Andersson into the 2nd overall or Johnston. If Conroy’s price for Andersson is a young C with top line potential potential then we likely see him go at the deadline for a Hanifin type return. Hopefully a GM on the other end pays up but it’s pretty hard to see that kind of player coming back from a contender.

I will say this, I am often amazed at GM's that don't sacrifice young cost controlled players, is Johnson a better player with more value, than Andersson, for sure, no one will debate that that, but is Dallas a more well rounded team, able to finally get "over the hump" with Andersson adding to there too 4, one could also make a logical argument for that case as well.

Maybe on some level Dallas realizes they need to make a trade like this, but perhaps they are waiting till the deadline next year, hoping Conroy buckles or a another trade partner steps up.

Either way if Dallas does nothing and they don't win a Stanley Cup, hockey writers will tear him apart, saying he missed looking at the big picture, if he does sacrifice a young player like Johnson, and it backfires, hockey writers will tear him apart again saying it was a short sighted trade.

For me you trade a player like Johnson any day of the week if your team is better in the end.

[SuperMatt18]

But that's the problem.

The team isn't better with Andersson instead of Johnston

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

But that's the problem.

The team isn't better with Andersson instead of Johnston

Agreed, and maybe Dallas would have done Ras ++ for Johnston if they landed a big UFA like Marner. They didn't though, so why make this move?

Dallas also will be a playoff team, why do they need to overpay now? They might get a quality dman for much less at the deadline, if they feel they need one.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Wouldn't said impatient ownership have directed Conroy to add at last year's deadline with the team in a playoff spot, and then again this summer with the team missing out by a point last year and brining all the players back?

Wouldn't said impatient ownership have said bring back or re-sign Andersson to keep that team together that you plan to supplement with the $20M in cap space?

They didn't add but they also didn't sell. In a rebuild or retool or whatever you want to call it they should be selling.

And just because they didn't sign anyone doesn't mean they didn't try.

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

Agreed, and maybe Dallas would have done Ras ++ for Johnston if they landed a big UFA like Marner. They didn't though, so why make this move?

Dallas also will be a playoff team, why do they need to overpay now? They might get a quality dman for much less at the deadline, if they feel they need one.

Off topic, hoping Conroy gets a 2026 or 2027 unprotected first round pick for Andersson, any thing more than that is gravy, we don't have those superstars yet, need to snag one via draft

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Right off the bat you had it wrong.





What D said was that if we did not have Wolf already then there would be a "question" to acquire an elite goalie at this step of the retool or rebuild.

I believe most of the people on this board would be in agreement that if we did not already have Wolf then now would not be the time to spend assets on acquiring an Askarov or Knight.

I think it would be safe to say that all of team tank would lose their minds if we acquired a goalie that prevented us from picking #1OA and spent assets to do so.

Then you wind up like the Flames did all those years where they had good/elite players like Gaudreau and Monahan and Gio, but no goalie.

And the trade piece being discussed is Andersson.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by kehatch

Its not adding Robertson that people disagree with. Its paying the cost to acquire Robertson that is at issue.

I literally responded to someone who said we shouldn't be acquiring Robertson because we don't have - and need - good players.

But yes, as I've said, I don't like the expected cost either. Or the direction. Would prefer a futures package.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Hackey

They didn't add but they also didn't sell. In a rebuild or retool or whatever you want to call it they should be selling.

And just because they didn't sign anyone doesn't mean they didn't try.

So they tried to sign their own. Didn't. And then decided to not sign anyone else and keep the cap space.

Oh and move their number one goaltender.

They may not be going down to the studs, but they are patiently not signing players or adding at the deadline to get into the playoffs like the person above was suggesting.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by dino7c

If Conroy had a mandate to make the playoffs at all costs they would have not had 20M in cap space and 4 1st rounders in 2 drafts after last years TDL.

I mean they could have easily made the playoffs last year if they wanted to lose one of those picks or spend some dough

Sandman didn't say 'at all costs'.

They are rebuilding/retooling, that is pretty indisputable. But I think it's also fair to say that they would like to do it quickly, and are not interested in a full teardown. So, even though they sat on $20M in cap space last year (and IMO, tried to finish bottom 10), I still think, as Sandman suggested, that they would pursue good young players to expedite things, if available.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by browntrout

For me you trade a player like Johnson any day of the week if your team is better in the end.

Better for one years at the end?

But worse for several more?

Trading Johnson for Andersson is a panic short sighted move from Dallas perspective IMO. Andersson will cost move going forward after year 1.

[Jiri Hrdina]

This is a slightly dated article from the Athletic that breaks down key needs for a championship team.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/207...-of-champions/

It strongly shows that having a top centre, and in fact a strong 1-2 punch down the middle is needed.

But what's interesting is that it also shows you don't NEED to rely on high first round picks to get it.

"Depth down the middle is crucial to building a Cup contender, but on average 86 percent of the value is confined to the top two centres. The past 10 Cup winners have been built off strong duos (O’Reilly/Schenn, Backstrom/Kuznetsov, Crosby/Malkin, Kopitar/Carter, Krejci/Bergeron)."

So of that group you have the following:
- O'Reilly/Schenn both acquired via trade
- Backstrom #4 pick, Kuz #26
- Crosby/Malkin obviously very high picks
- Kopitar #11, Carter trade
- Bergeron/Krejci both 2nd rounders

So since then you have
- Tampa: Point (3rd rounder) + Stamkos (#1 overall)
- Vegas: Eichel (trade) + Stephenson (trade)
- Colorado: Mackinnin (#1 overall) + Kadri (trade)
- Florida: Barkov (#2 overall) + Sam (trade)

The point is you certainly need great centres, but it's shown that there are other ways of getting them other than drafting #1 or #2 overall.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Better for one years at the end?

But worse for several more?

Trading Johnson for Andersson is a panic short sighted move from Dallas perspective IMO. Andersson will cost move going forward after year 1.

I don’t even think the Stars are better off next season with an Andersson and Johnston swap. Hintz/Duchene or Seguin is not a contending top six center depth.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I don’t even think the Stars are better off next season with an Andersson and Johnston swap. Hintz/Duchene or Seguin is not a contending top six center depth.

Which is why they aren't trading Johnston
This trade scenario is fan fiction, no legs to it.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Most of the pushback you have been getting is around proposals that turned Andersson into the 2nd overall or Johnston. If Conroy’s price for Andersson is a young C with top line potential potential then we likely see him go at the deadline for a Hanifin type return. Hopefully a GM on the other end pays up but it’s pretty hard to see that kind of player coming back from a contender.

Yeah, I tend to think a few people on this Board do tend to think defence is a bit higher valued then what it really is. Is Rasmus Anderson really a more highly valued commodity league wide than what Noah Hanifin was? Say what we like but Hanifin was a top 5 pick, younger, bigger, and considered a better skater than what Ras is. Ras likely is seen as being a more fiery competitor. Teams like having defensive depth, but what about the Florida Panthers defence from the past two seasons had the NHL cowering in their boots thinking that this unit looked like a juggernaut that was completely stacked?

Conroy can set a higher ask now because he's not in a position where he has to trade Andersson yet. But he does have to commit to being willing to start the season with him and move him out by the deadline no matter how the season unfolds. Eventually he will hit a point where he's got to take the best offer that's out there and make the move.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I don’t even think the Stars are better off next season with an Andersson and Johnston swap. Hintz/Duchene or Seguin is not a contending top six center depth.

Johnston for Andersson isn’t even a rumour at this point anyway. It’s just pie in the sky wishcasting by people here. There’s no sign Dallas is even thinking about moving Johnston - quite the opposite given they just signed him to a really nice AAV contract.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I don’t even think the Stars are better off next season with an Andersson and Johnston swap. Hintz/Duchene or Seguin is not a contending top six center depth.

In any case, the Stars should be able to get Andersson (or a player like Andersson) without sacrificing Johnston.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Most of the pushback you have been getting is around proposals that turned Andersson into the 2nd overall or Johnston. If Conroy’s price for Andersson is a young C with top line potential potential then we likely see him go at the deadline for a Hanifin type return. Hopefully a GM on the other end pays up but it’s pretty hard to see that kind of player coming back from a contender.

I've had no issue with the pushback, I also do not think that Johnston is likely to be traded.

It is the thoughtless blanket statements that take away from the conversation instead of building on it that grinds my gears. It is one of the reasons this conversation never progresses beyond someone throwing out a speculative idea and then the same group of people driving by saying "NEVAAAAAAAR".

It is a shame because this conversation could be a lot more fun. I had a thought about gamifying it and try to simulate the bidding war between the ~6 teams that have been rumoured to be interested in Andersson and put together the various initial bids that Conroy has obviously rejected as well as the follow up bids that are likely taking place right now.

Then maybe the more casual posters could start to understand that we are not just talking about the value of Andersson in a vacuum, but we are talking about the value of Andersson in a seller's market where there are no other real options for teams to acquire a player like Andersson and 6-10 teams all trying to get him at different points in time.

The complexity of the situation is what makes it interesting and the effort many of you make to dumb it down is not.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

This is a slightly dated article from the Athletic that breaks down key needs for a championship team.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/207...-of-champions/

It strongly shows that having a top centre, and in fact a strong 1-2 punch down the middle is needed.

But what's interesting is that it also shows you don't NEED to rely on high first round picks to get it.

"Depth down the middle is crucial to building a Cup contender, but on average 86 percent of the value is confined to the top two centres. The past 10 Cup winners have been built off strong duos (O’Reilly/Schenn, Backstrom/Kuznetsov, Crosby/Malkin, Kopitar/Carter, Krejci/Bergeron)."

So of that group you have the following:
- O'Reilly/Schenn both acquired via trade
- Backstrom #4 pick, Kuz #26
- Crosby/Malkin obviously very high picks
- Kopitar #11, Carter trade
- Bergeron/Krejci both 2nd rounders

So since then you have
- Tampa: Point (3rd rounder) + Stamkos (#1 overall)
- Vegas: Eichel (trade) + Stephenson (trade)
- Colorado: Mackinnin (#1 overall) + Kadri (trade)
- Florida: Barkov (#2 overall) + Sam (trade)

The point is you certainly need great centres, but it's shown that there are other ways of getting them other than drafting #1 or #2 overall.

Makes sense.

So, three avenues to acquire a top center:

1) Top 5 pick (highest likelihood to draft one, harder to bounce back and build back up to playoff contention quickly)
2) Investing more draft resources (budget, personnel, picks) in hopes of consistently hitting on your drafts
3) Trade

It's still early in this rebuild, but adding more first round picks for roster players effectively has Conroy's hook in the water on all three routes.

If they don't bottom out and they continue to add picks (and keep most of them) AND the amateur scouting continues its recent run of solid drafts, they'll have a good chance of producing a good center or two with options 2 and 3.

Stock the system, add picks, and use those picks to add toolsy players that could outperform their draft slot or make a bold trade when the rare center gets traded.