2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[CFO]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Oilers almost won the cup, twice. The Leafs have had chances, unfortunately for them it seems Matthews is not a playoff type player. Same goes for Petterson.

I am not sure it really disproves my argument at all. If anything, it strengthens it.

No one's beaten the Panthers. If Oilers had to run through them to make it to finals - they wouldn't have made the finals - ever.

[Cole436]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Unfortunately that is how you build a contender these days.

Florida was awful before they got Barkov/Ekblad.

Colorado was awful before they got Makar and MacKinnon.

Tampa was awful until they got Stamkos and Hedman.

Pittsburgh was awful until they got Crosby and Malkin.

Kings were awful before Kopitar and Doughty.

Capitals were bad until they got Ovechkin and Backstrom.

Blackhawks with Kane and Toews.

The only recent cup winners that did not tank were the Blues fluke year, and the Golden Knights. And they did not win until Eichel begged to be traded to there.

People can hate tanking all they want, but the success speaks for itself. Elite players are not going to beg to come here like they all do for Vegas. So outside of hoping for a one year fluke, if you want a cup you need to tank.

The only teams on that list that actively tanked were Chicago and Pittsburgh. You could maybe argue Colorado for MacKinnon, but even then, they were just bad.

The rest, Florida, Tampa, Washington, LA, and even Colorado in the Makar era, were just consistently mediocre or poorly managed while trying to compete. They didn’t tear down their rosters with the intention of losing. They tried to build playoff teams, failed for years, and ended up with high picks as a result.

So yeah, top picks helped those teams eventually become contenders, but that doesn’t mean tanking was the strategy. It was more like long-term failure, not some smart, deliberate rebuild plan.

Tanking just guarantees pain and it definitely doesn’t guarantee a Cup or even a good team.

• The Sabres have been tanking/rebuilding since 2011
  
• It took Edmonton 10 years and a generational talent to make the playoffs after 8 years of tanking
  
• The Red Wings have been rebuilding for nearly 10 years with nothing to show
  
• The Coyotes were tanking for most of the past 15 years with nothing to show from it
  
• The Blue Jackets tanked for years and have never put together anything close to a championship team let alone a team that can even regularly compete for the playoffs
  
• The Flyers tank has left them one of the worst teams in the east for years and while they've stocked the cupboards haven't had any success to show for it.
  

Tanking is a massive gamble that has had a lot more failures than successes in this league.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by dino7c

There is no point debating anyone whos big plan is to just be bad for years

Nah youre right, its totally better to half ass properly building a team and actually just be bad for 4-6 years straight and then mediocre after that.

No one wants to be bad for years, the flames are already doing that. The debate is always what the best strategy for building the team is, and I maintain that they actually seem to lack one at all right now.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Oilers almost won the cup, twice. The Leafs have had chances, unfortunately for them it seems Matthews is not a playoff type player. Same goes for Petterson.

I am not sure it really disproves my argument at all. If anything, it strengthens it.

The Oilers were 2-4 against Florida in the POs (and needed OT for both wins). The Leafs were 3-4.

The Leafs were better against the cup champs.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Then why not put in age ranges only?

Journeymen as a definition implies replacement level filler to me.

I see Bahl better than you I guess. I'd never say star but I think he's now a complimentary player and a 4 more than a 5.

Because why not? Its an added descriptor to highlight how I classify each age range.

Yes it appears that you think slightly higher of him then I do. he's a very good player and a strong asset for this team.

[kmart]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Unfortunately that is how you build a contender these days.

Florida was awful before they got Barkov/Ekblad.

Colorado was awful before they got Makar and MacKinnon.

Tampa was awful until they got Stamkos and Hedman.

Pittsburgh was awful until they got Crosby and Malkin.

Kings were awful before Kopitar and Doughty.

Capitals were bad until they got Ovechkin and Backstrom.

Blackhawks with Kane and Toews.

The only recent cup winners that did not tank were the Blues fluke year, and the Golden Knights. And they did not win until Eichel begged to be traded to there.

People can hate tanking all they want, but the success speaks for itself. Elite players are not going to beg to come here like they all do for Vegas. So outside of hoping for a one year fluke, if you want a cup you need to tank.

Do we forget that who Kucherov and Point are? Or is it because they aren’t top 3 picks. Love how you added Kopitar there too, nice one trying to sneak a non top 10 pick in there.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The Oilers were 2-4 against Florida in the POs (and needed OT for both wins). The Leafs were 3-4.

The Leafs were better against the cup champs.

Agreed. And how did they acquire their best players ?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Nick Suzuki just got married, and his wife is super hot.

Of course she is. The perks of being a pro sports guy. You can be the ugliest dude in sports but you are going to pull a trophy wife.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Batting out of your league is pretty much universal for men, of all income brackets.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Saqe

A lot goes to team building but you absolutely need elite talent. However you can get it.

Our chances of getting elite talent in free agency is next to nothing, due to geography and country. Id say some kind of all in trade when the "number one centre wants out for reason X" situation comes up again.

Be frugal in trades and do the best you can to stick to your guns and not overpay. But if that next eichal/stone type situation comes up you overpay and win the bidding war. Get that elite talent by going above ask.

*yes I do realize that if the player is close to free agency you need to also convince them to sign here as part of the deal. But even go over ask on that, too. Id rather get that number one centre at $14mil AAV instead of $12AAV market rate than have an okay number one centre at $9mil or whatever.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Agreed. And how did they acquire their best players ?

Is there where we reveal the answer is “draft” and act like there’s anybody left that doesn’t understand you can draft good players or something?

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Oilers almost won the cup, twice. The Leafs have had chances, unfortunately for them it seems Matthews is not a playoff type player. Same goes for Petterson.

I am not sure it really disproves my argument at all. If anything, it strengthens it.

I just love all the caveats that have accrued over the last month or so.

The HMS Tank Theory has so many holes that it sunk weeks ago.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The only recent cup winners that did not tank were the Blues fluke year, and the Golden Knights. And they did not win until Eichel begged to be traded to there.

People can hate tanking all they want, but the success speaks for itself. Elite players are not going to beg to come here like they all do for Vegas. So outside of hoping for a one year fluke, if you want a cup you need to tank.

It’s amazing watching you disregard examples that don’t conform. As usual, you discount teams that did tank and didn’t win.

Babcock literally said the leafs tanked for Matthews. Buffalo has been tanking for years, etc etc etc

But yeah don’t worry about it.

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

It’s amazing watching you disregard examples that don’t conform. As usual, you discount teams that did tank and didn’t win.

Babcock literally said the leafs tanked for Matthews. Buffalo has been tanking for years, etc etc etc

But yeah don’t worry about it.

Careful careful careful
These facts do not support the victims wishes

[dino7c]

none of these teams tank, they are poorly managed, suck, and then they fluke out and win lotteries
95% of the time the GM that "builds" these teams is long gone when they are good. Imagine thinking the Oilers were shrewd in getting their two players that matter.
Who "built" the Oilers with their amazing hockey mind again?

My original point is there is ZERO POINT in talking hockey strategy with anyone who just wants the Flames to be bad for a few years, in that case hire a bad GM. Its not a strategy and its not happening anyway. Dustin Wolf doesn't want to lose games for 4+ years which is what it would take for players drafted in the next couple years to be even coming close to being impactful.

[Flamefan1]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Oilers almost won the cup, twice. The Leafs have had chances, unfortunately for them it seems Matthews is not a playoff type player. Same goes for Petterson.

I am not sure it really disproves my argument at all. If anything, it strengthens it.

Rhett secretly an Oiler in Flames clothing?

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by dino7c

none of these teams tank, they are poorly managed, suck, and then they fluke out and win lotteries
95% of the time the GM that "builds" these teams is long gone when they are good. Imagine thinking the Oilers were shrewd in getting their two players that matter.
Who "built" the Oilers with their amazing hockey mind again?

My original point is there is ZERO POINT in talking hockey strategy with anyone who just wants the Flames to be bad for a few years, in that case hire a bad GM. Its not a strategy and its not happening anyway. Dustin Wolf doesn't want to lose games for 4+ years which is what it would take for players drafted in the next couple years to be even coming close to being impactful.

I think folks are trying to say the Oilers intentionally tanked to get their top players, which is quite true if you consider the initial tank. However, McDavid and Drai came onboard after the first iteration of the rebuild failed (Nuge,Hall, Ebs). So you are correct that they acquired their franchise players via unintentional ineptitude. I personally would rather not endure a decade + of darkness at this stage in my life.

[Groot]

Just for fun, I went back to through each draft from 2024 to 2014. Here's each team that had a top 5 pick over that period, and the number of top 5 picks in brackets.

San Jose (2)
Chicago (4)
Anaheim (3)
Columbus (3)
Montreal (4)
Arizona/Utah (3)
New Jersey (4)
Seattle (2)
Philadelphia (2)
Buffalo (4)
New York Rangers (2)
LA (2)
Ottawa (3)
Detroit
Colorado (2)
Carolina (2)
Dallas
Vancouver (2)
Toronto (2)
Winnipeg
Columbus
Edmonton (3)
Calgary
Florida
New York Islanders

One of Colorado's top 5 picks was traded from Ottawa.

Somebody on team tank better tell the 23 teams on this list that haven't won anything with these top 5 picks what they're doing wrong and begin submitting GM applications immediately. Its crazy that LA and Chicago can't get it right given that they apparently have done it before.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

I think folks are trying to say the Oilers intentionally tanked to get their top players, which is quite true if you consider the initial tank. However, McDavid and Drai came onboard after the first iteration of the rebuild failed (Nuge,Hall, Ebs). So you are correct that they acquired their franchise players via unintentional ineptitude. I personally would rather not endure a decade + of darkness at this stage in my life.

All that shrewd tanking got them a 10% chance at McDavid...if they missed there they would be in 20 years of darkness

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Oilers almost won the cup, twice. The Leafs have had chances, unfortunately for them it seems Matthews is not a playoff type player. Same goes for Petterson.

I am not sure it really disproves my argument at all. If anything, it strengthens it.

Don’t forget the Sabres with Eichel, Reinhart, Power, Dahlin

Columbus with Filatov, Johansen, Murray and Dubois.

Then Columbus again with Fantili, Johnson, Jiricek.

Arizona with Keller, Hayton and Strome

New Jersey with Larsson, Zacha, Hirschier, Hughes, Hughes, Nemec.

NYR with Lafrenniere and Kakko

Islanders with Tavares, Niedereitter, strome, Reinhart and Del Colle.