2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Culture isn't about immediate returns. You appear not to understand the concept either.

If you think the Flames' young players got no benefit from playing meaningful games right to the end of the regular season and dealing with daily pressure, then I question your judgement about anything to do with the psychology of athletes or the development of players.



They're already on course for dead last in the league. What more change could they possibly make?

You set the tone for fun conversations, you're always such a dick. Try to not be, or don't - whatever.

Nice dumb question. What more change could they possibly make? Trade Andersson, and possibly Kadri and Coleman. There's the change.

You seem to believe in non-sensical imaginary things like an undefinable 'culture'. What's the culture? Play meaningful games, but never win enough to make the playoffs? Oooh, what a culture! How has that worked out?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

You set the tone for fun conversations, you're always such a dick. Try to not be, or don't - whatever.

I'm a dick to people who earn it by being dicks themselves while saying foolish things. Deal with it, or try not saying foolish things so much.

Nice dumb question. What more change could they possibly make? Trade Andersson, and possibly Kadri and Coleman. There's the change.

The media are flooded with stories about trade discussions going on. That change has already been made, but you want to believe that the team is doing exactly what it did in the past, so you ignore all that. The fact is, nobody is making any significant trades at this time of year, so you'll just have to wait for the result you want.

You seem to believe in non-sensical imaginary things like an undefinable 'culture'.

It's neither nonsensical nor imaginary. It's just something you don't understand, so you believe it can't possibly exist.

What's the culture? Play meaningful games, but never win enough to make the playoffs? Oooh, what a culture! How has that worked out?

The culture is to work hard to win with whatever you've got, instead of giving up and being happy to lose. But I already know you don't understand that concept.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I'm a dick to people who earn it by being dicks themselves while saying foolish things. Deal with it, or try not saying foolish things so much.



The media are flooded with stories about trade discussions going on. That change has already been made, but you want to believe that the team is doing exactly what it did in the past, so you ignore all that. The fact is, nobody is making any significant trades at this time of year, so you'll just have to wait for the result you want.



It's neither nonsensical nor imaginary. It's just something you don't understand, so you believe it can't possibly exist.



The culture is to work hard to win with whatever you've got, instead of giving up and being happy to lose. But I already know you don't understand that concept.

I've never been a dick to you directly.

Your stance of being a dick to people who you disagree because you think they're foolish, just means you're a dick.

You claim I don't understand something, but you actually can't define it/what the material impact of what the Flames 'culture' has yielded. Are you arguing that the Flames have had a poor culture? We've heard for years of how great the culture is/how close of a team it is.

The culture you note is that of a professional sports team. Effort isn't a problem for this team, and hasn't been a problem for a long time. Skill has been the problem. What you call culture, is the bare requirement for a team. It hasn't helped this team find success. I definitely understand what you believe the "culture" is, it's not complicated. Point to a team in the league that doesn't have that "culture".

Do you truly believe the players on the Avalanche before they drafted MacKinnon weren't working hard and giving it their all?

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by jaydub74

He no longer has a NMC, this year it downgrades to a NTC with 14 teams (if I remember correctly).

Yes the criticism from Monahamer though was that the Flames should have traded him last year.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Why don't both of you take your personal #### to PM/DM?

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Your sarcasm shows that you don't understand what the term ‘winning culture’ even means.

How come the winning culture we worked so hard on last year hasn’t carried over to this season !

And honestly I want the new core to create their own culture (once that core has been drafted or acquired) anyways

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Of course we’re better off with Weegar ! That’s why he has the value to bring back a top prospect !

I truly wonder how some people here think we will ever acquire top players without being bad or trading our assets that can return players who can turn into that

Late firsts and 2nds aren’t going to cut it

Do you think Weegar himself will get a high first round pick or top prospect? Because our draft odds can’t get any better than they currently are. Weegar is good but a top 10 or higher pick? I’m not so so sure.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Why don't both of you take your personal #### to PM/DM?

I don't have anything personal with whoever this guy is. I'm just calling out his poor behaviour for what it is, and yeah - I won't respond to him again and detract further from the conversation. I felt the need to call out his poor behaviour.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Do you truly believe the players on the Avalanche before they drafted MacKinnon weren't working hard and giving it their all?

Before the Avalanche drafted MacKinnon they finished 6 games above .500, before that 14 games below, before that 13 games above. I am fine with that type of approach, some years good, some years bad. Seems like a good model for the Flames.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Of course we’re better off with Weegar ! That’s why he has the value to bring back a top prospect !

I truly wonder how some people here think we will ever acquire top players without being bad or trading our assets that can return players who can turn into that

Late firsts and 2nds aren’t going to cut it

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Do you think Weegar himself will get a high first round pick or top prospect? Because our draft odds can’t get any better than they currently are. Weegar is good but a top 10 or higher pick? I’m not so so sure.

Why don't people understand that any team that is looking for a guy like Weegar isn't likely a team that has a top ten pick? Now, they might have a top prospect (usually not their best prospect) to give up.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Why don't people understand that any team that is looking for a guy like Weegar isn't likely a team that has a top ten pick? Now, they might have a top prospect (usually not their best prospect) to give up.

Maybe the Sharks will give us their unprotected 2026 1st for him? Are you saying that is unlikely? Clearly trading Weegar will get us a super good prospect from some team that is somehow competitive but has a stud from the last two drafts to trade for him. This fantasy scenario could theoretically occur. Dare to dream the impossible dream I say.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I've never been a dick to you directly.

Your stance of being a dick to people who you disagree because you think they're foolish, just means you're a dick.

You claim I don't understand something, but you actually can't define it/what the material impact of what the Flames 'culture' has yielded. Are you arguing that the Flames have had a poor culture? We've heard for years of how great the culture is/how close of a team it is.

I can absolutely define it, though I cannot describe every detail of it because I have never been a pro hockey player myself. The team has had a good culture, which allowed them to overcome a lack of talent – up to a point. Now they are at the point where they have so little talent that culture can't possibly overcome it.

You seem to be suggesting that culture isn't a thing unless it is capable of overcoming everything else. That's not how anything works.

The culture you note is that of a professional sports team. Effort isn't a problem for this team, and hasn't been a problem for a long time.

So your solution for that is to trade away all the people who know how to put in that effort, all the fine details of daily preparation that go into it, and let the young players try to figure it out without anyone to set the example. Those skills are just as important as on-ice skill with the puck, and they don't teach themselves.

Skill has been the problem. What you call culture, is the bare requirement for a team. It hasn't helped this team find success.

You seem to think that ‘bare requirement’ can never be lost. It can be. There have been plenty of examples over the years.

Do you truly believe the players on the Avalanche before they drafted MacKinnon weren't working hard and giving it their all?

I believe the players on the Edmonton Oilers before they drafted McDavid, and for several years after, weren't working hard OR giving it their all. It was a frequent complaint by fans, coaches, media, everyone in the business – they gave the keys to the team to their young players and let them do whatever they liked. Veterans who tried to set a better example were simply mocked and ignored.

The Oilers didn't start winning until they flushed that whole generation of players (with one or two exceptions like RNH) and replaced them with older pros who had learned their trade in other organizations. That's why the Oilers had to become one of the oldest teams in the league to have success: they did not know how to teach those habits to their own players, and had to fill up their roster with other teams' veterans. At that point, their supporting players were able and willing to make the grinding daily effort of playing sound defensive hockey, even though the big stars still flagrantly refused to work on any part of the game that wasn't fun and glamorous.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Why don't people understand that any team that is looking for a guy like Weegar isn't likely a team that has a top ten pick? Now, they might have a top prospect (usually not their best prospect) to give up.

Hence why I said an A- prospect not a high pick . So yeah people understand it just fine

If Weegar is as good as people here think he is , and his contract is that good (which for the most part I agree on most part ) and teams are always looking for top D , it is entirely probable a team would trade their top 1/2/3 depending on how strong for him

And that’s exactly what the Flames should be looking for . A 19-21 year old stud C or D

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Hence why I said an A- prospect not a high pick . So yeah people understand it just fine

If Weegar is as good as people here think he is , and his contract is that good (which for the most part I agree on most part ) and teams are always looking for top D , it is entirely probable a team would trade their top 1/2/3 depending on how strong for him

And that’s exactly what the Flames should be looking for . A 19-21 year old stud C or D

Like Misa from the Sharks, maybe one for one?

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Maybe the Sharks will give us their unprotected 2026 1st for him? Are you saying that is unlikely? Clearly trading Weegar will get us a super good prospect from some team that is somehow competitive but has a stud from the last two drafts to trade for him. This fantasy scenario could theoretically occur. Dare to dream the impossible dream I say.

Well he could mentor the Sharks young players since apparently that is priceless around here !

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Like Misa from the Sharks, maybe one for one?

Always so edgy ! Yes Misa is a A- prospect and SJ is the team we should be trading with .

Nailed it like always

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Always so edgy ! Yes Misa is a A- prospect and SJ is the team we should be trading with .

Nailed it like always

Who are these A- prospects who are stud C or D prospects that are 19-21 years old. I named one and apparently you don’t think that is the one. Who are they. Your turn to name one that you have your eye on in a Weegar trade.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

In all likelihood, the pursuit of such a path ("steady as she goes, we'll turn this around") likely returns nothing of any real value to the team as a whole.

What did the team learn from last year? Immediate returns show that year-to-year 'culture' is exactly valueless.

Maintaining the course in hopes of a course correction does not yield any tangible, significant results. Miss the playoffs, with a mushy-middle draft pick preventing the team from having a better chance at obtaining the top-end talent that it actually requires - or perhaps just sneaking into the playoffs, where know the odds of any success are next to none.

Change course, completely embrace the idea of the lost season - because that's what it is.

Yes, I know that is your view. I feel that the team already has a plan and has already embraced a rebuild. So, we already disagree.


Yet, you asked if it was possible. I responded that it certainly is possible. If they win the next four in a row then it becomes more possible. If they continue to sputter, less.


It would surprise me if Conroy and his team are approaching this moment as anything but wait and see how things go over the next month. By the start of December if the Flames are still in the basement or near to, then I suspect the sell off will start to occur if teams meet Conroy's prices.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I definitely have a new fear unlocked with the potential of Weegar simply not wanting to be part of this rebuild. Bahl will instantly become the Flames' top defensive blue-liner.


I am 100% on "team rebuild", but I am not on team "burn it to the ground, and let's tear up the foundation while we are at it"!


Development takes a hit when you have a team that can't play a structured defensive game. I think removing Andersson essentially nukes the defence as is. Andersson + Weegar is madness. I hope he wants to stick around. It shouldn't be the end of the world if he leaves, but I do think it creates issues.


I remember Dubynk's story very well - he couldn't trust the defence in front of him, so he would cheat to compensate. Over time, these became bad habits, and it took a while for him to break out of it. You would hope that good goalie coaching would help prevent this, but maybe placing Wolf in that kind of an environment can lead to some damage to his development.


Tough for the kids to get brought in with Bahl being the mentor, or Bahl and Hanley as the mentors. No offence against either one of them, but Bahl is too inexperienced for that (he has yet to be an anchor on his own pairing), but that's what he will become.


It is interesting if Weegar chooses to leave. I would expect quite the return though, so that eases things a little, but holy that's basically nuking the team entirely shipping off Andersson, Coleman, Kadri and Weegar. Huberdeau and Backlund will be staring at one another like deer in the headlights after that.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Do you think Weegar himself will get a high first round pick or top prospect? Because our draft odds can’t get any better than they currently are. Weegar is good but a top 10 or higher pick? I’m not so so sure.

You’d have to trade him to a bottom feeder to get a top 5 or 10 pick. I would assume we’d be trading vets to contenders in the top 10 in the league. So 20 to 32 in the draft ranking.

Our pick is going to be the best one that we have. Potentially first overall.