2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Sometimes when I log on here I think that the flames could trade Kadri, Huberdeau, Andersson, Coleman, Backlund and Weegar and things would just shift to Lomberg needs to go for it to be a "true" tank. I don't know if it can ever be torn down fast enough for some .

They are still a last place team this morning. Andersson is as good as gone. If they decide to keep Kadri because he gives a s### that isn't going to have me that upset. I read so much "patience needed for a rebuild" and it seems like people aren't listening to their own gospel. Who the hell is even trading for Kadri on November 7th? Is this suddenly a pinch point because fans are impatient?

The minute it came out the NMC was now a modified NTC this was inevitable. The same folks frantically flapping about now had already been frothing at the mouth for a year with their daily demands that management ask Kadri to waive his NMC. The NTC news was chum in the water for the derp sharks

[Jiri Hrdina]

When were the Flames last in the NHL at this stage in the season? I realize it's early but has that happened before?

[flambers]

Very little chance Kadri will be at top of his game when the Flames are a contender

Whether the team is in retooling or rebuilding the window is not close as of yet.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

When were the Flames last in the NHL at this stage in the season? I realize it's early but has that happened before?

I can't recall a season they were at the bottom at this stage in the season

American thanksgiving is this month

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Where did this idea come from?

If both aides agree, they can change the contract however they like. Changes and amendments are common.

Weird thing to say. No one is suggesting it was unilateral.

I based it on the following post from Royle, which coincided with my previous knowledge. I don't have more than that though.

Originally Posted by Royle9

Ok I’ve got official clarification:

** Contract cannot be changed while under its current term, meaning you can’t officially restructure the NMC to a NTC, however the player can choose to waive this entirely**

The contract was structured originally to switch to a modified no trade clause this year, however it was the player that advised 13 team no trade and has likely submitted that list to CGY.

I do think Calgary is comfortable keeping Kadri based on his desire to do right by the team and rebuild, but I also believe as shared previously that if he’s asked to waive he will do so out of respect for Craig and the team.

[Rhett44]

Seeing a lot of the posts in this thread just confirms the Flames ownership doesn't have to change their strategy. The direction of the team will continue to be supported by a lot of the fan base regardless of the results.

And I know some people are trying to argue that this time is different, but I don't see it. We offered an aging Lindholm a contract and he said no, thankfully. We offered Hanifin a contract and he also said no. Tanev wanted to try to win a cup.

If trading your players that say no to you counts as being proactively rebuilding, then I guess they can get credit. But I see almost every move as reactive and basically we were saved by a bunch of players saying no to us.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I based it on the following post from Royle, which coincided with my previous knowledge. I don't have more than that though.

Strange! So NHL contracts are different from normal contracts?

Not a surprise. I always thought a few of the complaints Jim Balsillie made against the league were right back in his ‘sue my way to a franchise in Hamilton’ phase. NHL does have some mafia-like rules for sure.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

^ saying playoffs is the only benefit to keeping seasoned veterans around is quite the spin.

How about introducing our boatloads of rookies into the league and mentoring them? Showing them what it takes to be a pro at that level, every day.

This is annoying because they will obviously move the veterans we are talking about for future assets. but saying that’s the only positive is just unnecessary and inaccurate.

That's what Huberdeau, Frost, Farabee, Weegar, Backlund, etc are for.

This team has lots of veterans. It can afford to trade Coleman and Kadri.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Seeing a lot of the posts in this thread just confirms the Flames ownership doesn't have to change their strategy. The direction of the team will continue to be supported by a lot of the fan base regardless of the results.

And I know some people are trying to argue that this time is different, but I don't see it. We offered an aging Lindholm a contract and he said no, thankfully. We offered Hanifin a contract and he also said no. Tanev wanted to try to win a cup.

If trading your players that say no to you counts as being proactively rebuilding, then I guess they can get credit. But I see almost every move as reactive and basically we were saved by a bunch of players saying no to us.

Cool.... Stay in that angry state then. Ignore all the changes. Ignore the multiple first round picks. Ignore the numerous UFAs moved (beyond the ones you named). Ignore the cap space not being used. Ignore the not adding at the last deadline. Ignore the fairly public view that Andersson is on his way out.

I mean you're a fan right? Why believe anything good could ever come from what they are doing when you can just be miserable drag every conversation into chaotic oblivion!

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Seeing a lot of the posts in this thread just confirms the Flames ownership doesn't have to change their strategy. The direction of the team will continue to be supported by a lot of the fan base regardless of the results.

And I know some people are trying to argue that this time is different, but I don't see it. We offered an aging Lindholm a contract and he said no, thankfully. We offered Hanifin a contract and he also said no. Tanev wanted to try to win a cup.

If trading your players that say no to you counts as being proactively rebuilding, then I guess they can get credit. But I see almost every move as reactive and basically we were saved by a bunch of players saying no to us.

Tell you what, why don't you call up Wolf and tell him to suck more?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

That's what Huberdeau, Frost, Farabee, Weegar, Backlund, etc are for.

This team has lots of veterans. It can afford to trade Coleman and Kadri.

And I don't think anyone is arguing that, or at least very few.

But many don't see the Dreger comment as any real change from where things are headed.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Cool.... Stay in that angry state then. Ignore all the changes. Ignore the multiple first round picks. Ignore the numerous UFAs moved (beyond the ones you named). Ignore the cap space not being used. Ignore the not adding at the last deadline. Ignore the fairly public view that Andersson is on his way out.

I mean you're a fan right? Why believe anything good could ever come from what they are doing when you can just be miserable drag every conversation into chaotic oblivion!

I'm pretty sure this dude doesn't want the Flames to do what he says they should do, only because then he can say "I told you so" and complain some more.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by flambers

I can't recall a season they were at the bottom at this stage in the season

American thanksgiving is this month

97-98 they started:

October 3-8-2
November 2-7-5

So we are in that territory. But Flames are about to win 7 straight games.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Isn't that exactly the same thing that was said about Andersson? Then despite the appetite to trade him in the offseason they couldn't get the return they wanted. I understand the sentiment that you don't have to trade players in a bad deal. At the same time, I also don't know what's being offered. That said I doubt Kadri, or Coleman would be worth more next year, due to their age, and an even shorter term.

At the end of the day it isn't such a big deal, but better trade returns could result in the rebuild ending quicker, as well as having a better team, and a better chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Kadri has a lot more years than Andersson and I also don't think they needed to trade Andersson last season anyway.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And I don't think anyone is arguing that, or at least very few.

But many don't see the Dreger comment as any real change from where things are headed.

It is why it is very important this team continues to fail and struggle. They win a handful of games and put themselves back within a punchers chance of maybe making the playoffs it is hard to see them pivoting to the point they trade Kadri.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Seeing a lot of the posts in this thread just confirms the Flames ownership doesn't have to change their strategy. The direction of the team will continue to be supported by a lot of the fan base regardless of the results.

And I know some people are trying to argue that this time is different, but I don't see it. We offered an aging Lindholm a contract and he said no, thankfully. We offered Hanifin a contract and he also said no. Tanev wanted to try to win a cup.

If trading your players that say no to you counts as being proactively rebuilding, then I guess they can get credit. But I see almost every move as reactive and basically we were saved by a bunch of players saying no to us.

To be fair that doesn’t mean much since you basically change your entire perception of everyone involved with every win or every new “insider” comment.

If the Flames can go from a bottom feeder to a middle of the road team in your eyes after one win that doesn’t change their place in the standings, surely you can forgive people for having the audacity to suggest things may have changed over 30 years.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

It is why it is very important this team continues to fail and struggle. They win a handful of games and put themselves back within a punchers chance of maybe making the playoffs it is hard to see them pivoting to the point they trade Kadri.

They could take the two wins, add three more and still need to finish on a 101 point pace to get to the current playoff cut off point.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Are you pretending to not know why that would be relevant? The fact that Toffoli (and Markstrom) both asked for a trade after it was already clear the Flames had decided to move on from them is pretty relevant, and suggests they would have been moved regardless.

It’s funny that people always have some reason why every move the Flames make is somehow against their will.

It's funny is it?

I'm not pretending to not know anything. The relevance is that Conroy has not shown a proclivity to move guys in the middle of their contract. Players that have been traded has generally been because they were approaching an inflection point. I don't see how that is doing things against their will.

I get that your thing is to be condescending and try to belittle others rather than actually engaging in hockey conversation but I will try anyway.

IMO the question at hand is whether Flames would entertain moving Kadri at this time. Based on history and the reports we have thus far, I'm guessing they're not.

My POV is that Kadri is far more valuable to the championship aspirations of this organization as a trade asset than anything else. And I suspect his highest value will be this year.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Cool.... Stay in that angry state then. Ignore all the changes. Ignore the multiple first round picks. Ignore the numerous UFAs moved (beyond the ones you named). Ignore the cap space not being used. Ignore the not adding at the last deadline. Ignore the fairly public view that Andersson is on his way out.

I mean you're a fan right? Why believe anything good could ever come from what they are doing when you can just be miserable drag every conversation into chaotic oblivion!

I think all people want is the team to just lean harder into being bad in a season where they started off horrendously.

Right now the plans seems to be "We aren't really winning, but we don't want to fully suck either, we will trade players as they approach the end of their contract or if we have a clear path for replacement (Markstrom > Wolf)"

Trading pending UFAs for picks is great, but it's also a no brainer if you aren't going to sign the player, especially for a team that was no where near the playoffs in the season they traded those UFAs.

Toffoli and Mangiapane were traded before the deadline but both only had 1 year left on their deals, and it was clear they would be dealt - so wasn't like they were traded super early. And the org had and still has a backlog of wingers.

The only trade they have made with a player with multiple years of term left on his deal was Markstrom. And I think a big part of that was Wolf being so damn inevitable that they had to make space for him to be able to play at least 40 games and Markstrom wouldn't have been happy with sharing the net.

Andersson will be traded. He should have been traded at the draft in 2024. And there is no doubt in my mind that his value was much higher at that time than it is now...what did waiting gain the Flames?

It's same situation with Kadri and Coleman now. I'm not saying they have to trade those two tomorrow, but it should happen before the Olympic break and at the deadline at the latest.

What does waiting until the offseason to trade Coleman really gain you...now you have a pending UFA with one year left on his deal.

Same with Kadri - right now he's 35 coming off a career high in goals and a 35 goal and 67 point season.

Wait until next offseason and he's probably 36 year old coming off a 20 goal and 60 points season based on his production this year - I doubt his value is ever higher than it is between now and the deadline - especially with such a need for centers around the league right now.

People just want the team to be a bit more honest, and a bit more pro-active - without waiting until players are pending UFAs to trade them.

Originally Posted by Bingo

And I don't think anyone is arguing that, or at least very few.

But many don't see the Dreger comment as any real change from where things are headed.

Sure...I'm sure they do eventually trade Coleman and Kadri.

But the argument is don't drag your feet on it. Don't wait until the 2026 draft. Don't make the same mistakes you made with Hanifin and Andersson. Be pro-active.

At the 2023 trade deadline there was a group of us banging on the table to shop at least a couple of Hanifin, Tanev, Lindholm, Zadorov, Toffoli, etc then. Because it seemed clear the team wouldn't make the playoffs and it didn't make sense to have so many pending UFAs going into the next season. I think for most except maybe Lindholm you probably would have gotten a bigger return had you shopped them then.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I think all people want is the team to just lean harder into being bad in a season where they started off horrendously.

Right now the plans seems to be "We aren't really winning, but we don't want to fully suck either, we will trade players as they approach the end of their contract or if we have a clear path for replacement (Markstrom > Wolf)"

Trading pending UFAs for picks is great, but it's also a no brainer if you aren't going to sign the player, especially for a team that was no where near the playoffs in the season they traded those UFAs.

Toffoli and Mangiapane were traded before the deadline but both only had 1 year left on their deals, and it was clear they would be dealt - so wasn't like they were traded super early. And the org had and still has a backlog of wingers.

The only trade they have made with a player with multiple years of term left on his deal was Markstrom. And I think a big part of that was Wolf being so damn inevitable that they had to make space for him to be able to play at least 40 games and Markstrom wouldn't have been happy with sharing the net.

Andersson will be traded. He should have been traded at the draft in 2024. And there is no doubt in my mind that his value was much higher at that time than it is now...what did waiting gain the Flames?

It's same situation with Kadri and Coleman now. I'm not saying they have to trade those two tomorrow, but it should happen before the Olympic break and at the deadline at the latest.

What does waiting until the offseason to trade Coleman really gain you...now you have a pending UFA with one year left on his deal.

Same with Kadri - right now he's 35 coming off a career high in goals.

Wait until the offseason and a 35 goal and 67 point season.

Wait until next offseason and he's probably 36 year old coming off a 20 goal and 60 points season based on his production this year - I doubt his value is ever higher than it is between now and the deadline - especially with such a need for centers around the league right now.

People just want the team to be a bit more honest, and a bit more pro-active - without waiting until players are pending UFAs to trade them.

We don't know the plan.

The team hasn't been in this situation in the last two years. We will find out in December I think.

And disagree on Toffoli and Mangiapane. They were moving into contract renewal range and were both dealt instead of signed with a year left on their contracts. I see that as a different animal than trading a player that is set to expire at the deadline when you KNOW you're out of it.

Always appreciate your level headed way of discussing things though. Others should take notes.