2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Red Potato Standing By

Have to meet a cap floor anyways.

Yeah to be clear I'm not criticizing the deals I don't want to get into that. I'm just saying the roster is old and the coaches hands are a bit tied when it comes to about half the forwards. Even if they crater we kind of have to play them and it puts pressure on the lower paid younger guys to be perfect or be the ones put in the press box or sent to the A. With a team this bad youd love to see Morton ar 4th line center or have stromgren or kerins get an extended look. Still lots of time and maybe Coleman and kadri go.

[dammage79]

As for Morgan Frost. I think we are seeing what Flyers fans were on him about. To flashy to be as soft as he is. Bone head decisions from junior league levels of plays that leads to things like the Bedard goalmlast night.

I had high hopes Frost would finally turn it around this season but so far, he's a part of the mess of underachieving vets on the roster that is clogging up pathways for younger players.

[Flamesfan05]

Frost is actually on the group of young guys that they hope to step up

Unfortunately he hasn’t and his time is running out

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

You guys do know there is an option for them to not say anything at all right?

Not saying this doesn't mean you have to come out and say you're going to trade everyone.

To me this was way too direct, and attributed to Murray in a very blunt way, to send a different signal.

Dreger coming out and very clearly wording it this way is Conroy and Nonis (who we know feeds Dreger info) trying to pass the blame on why they aren't trading Kadri to the owner, even though the rest of the rumour mill has been talking about the potential offers for Kadri trade return being very attractive. It's the management team sending the message that their hands might be tied.

I'd be less worried about it if I felt like Edwards hasn't meddled in preventing this team from rebuilding properly in the past, but I've heard from different places that he still is very against a true rebuild and doesn't want to trade the veterans.

I have heard the opposite - happy to confirm my source with a mod

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Frost is actually on the group of young guys that they hope to step up

Unfortunately he hasn’t and his time is running out

Hyperbole is always the route to take with any young player.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Hyperbole is always the route to take with any young player.

Frost is 26 and in his 8th season in the NHL. What you see is likely what he is going forward.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I have heard the opposite - happy to confirm my source with a mod

No need, both Sec and I have heard the same, not sure where the opposite is coming from.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Royle9

No need, both Sec and I have heard the same, not sure where the opposite is coming from.

Wouldn’t the opposite be coming from the Dreger report and the history of the team under Edwards?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Wouldn’t the opposite be coming from the Dreger report and the history of the team under Edwards?

They’ve alright rebuilt before under Edwards (yes yes, endless arguments about “true” rebuilds and whether it went far enough or whatever aside) so the history doesn’t really support that.

And I don’t think Dreger really said anything of the sort, it was just interpreted that way by some.

[Nelson]

Regardless what the Flames say themselves or through the media, all that matters to me is what they actually do. Words are deceiving, because they might be about stating the team’s true intentions, or they might be about sending a message to help the players’ morale or improve a negotiating position. So, I’m not going to get too bent out of shape right now. However, if the Flames actually do not trade Andersson before the trade deadline, despite Andersson being a pending UFA. Or if they do not trade Kadri before the trade deadline, despite the team’s current performance and trajectory, Kadri’s age, and very high demand for Kadri. Then I will be upset. But I’m not going to be upset until I see the actual decision.

[Calgary4LIfe]

No team is going to enjoy being last in the league.

No group of players are going to be happy being on a team that is last place in the league.

No team has a good culture when they are last in the league.

Those three comments above SHOULD be all true, and this SHOULD be what we are seeing right now. Reality has been setting-in. This team can't do it. They don't have the horses to compete, and they are running on fumes. This is what we should be expecting, no?

Last season was a 'one off' - easy schedule to start, things snowballed, and it was super easy for everyone to buy-in, pull in the same direction, and work hard. I made a point of saying at some point in the off-season that I am interested to see if the culture really has changed, or if this was a blip, just like we have seen for the last 10 seasons. One good year followed by one down year, right? Give me 2-3 good years, and I will be convinced that the culture has changed.

With that being said, I have ZERO issues with Backlund as the captain, or having Coleman, Weegar, Huberdeau, Kadri, Andersson and Lomberg as the leaders on this team.

• Backlund's line is usually the best line on the ice. They certainly are over any 3 game average. They work hard out there. So no, i am not going to point at Backlund or Coleman (just listen to Coleman talk, and watch him play - perfect vet IMO) and say that they are a problem.
• Weegar has had the yips all season, but I don't have an issue with him.
• Kadri has been performing - sometimes a bit of a puck-hog with blinders on, especially to start the season, but he has been good for the last 10 games.
• Andersson is the only one that has been on the block all season in the media, so I would give him a pass here. However, he seems dialed-in and seems to care. Doesn't look checked-out to me at all.
• Huberdeau is his normal self - seems to be trying hard out there, and has been decently successful too.
• Lomberg is Lomberg - his job is to hit, protect the kids once in a while, and help keep this group loose. I can't blame him for how people are feeling after these losses.

Now let's take a look at the younger players;

• Coronato has looked lousy to start the season, and only in the last few games has he started to look more like himself.
• Zary has been all around the lineup, and I can't question it. He has only looked good sporadically.
• Klapka has been mostly good, with my only complaint about him being some penalties he has taken. This is my only exception here - he should probably be getting more opportunity based on his play.
• Honzek has been VERY good on the Backlund and Coleman line - part of that probably has to do with Backlund and Coleman too.
• Frost has been completely invisible for the first 12 games, but he has been good lately. Maybe he has had too long of a leash to start? Looks like that patience is paying off.
• Farabee couldn't score to save his life at the start of the season, but he has been good for a long time. Does everything, and has been scoring lately too. I can't say he has ever deserved a demotion.
• Sharangovich has looked mostly bad. Full-stop. He has also been healthy scratched, and has been all over the lineup. However, he has a 5 year deal, and the Flames have to find a way to get him going again. Is that unfair? Boo hoo then. Whomever complains can go cry a river. Flames can't get rid of him through trade until he becomes an asset again. However, let's not pretend he hasn't been disciplined.
• Bahl - he has been great, and deserving of his ice-time and opportunities.
• Hanley - I can't imagine anyone should be complaining. His is all over the lineup and has been good for what he is.
• Kuznetsov - 2 games in, and looks good. Was he complaining? Doubtful.
• Kirkland has been healthy scratched lately. This is who he is, and I doubt he is complaining - or having other players complaining about him.
• Pachal - in and out of the lineup. is he complaining, or having others complaining about him? I don't see it.
• Bean - his underlying metrics have been good. Maybe he doesn't deserve to be yanked out of the lineup. Maybe he is complaining? Maybe it makes sense, but I doubt it.
• Miromanov got recalled - hopefully he turns into an asset to be flipped at the deadline. Maybe the Flames can get a 7th for him if he works out, and draft Wolf's replacement 7-8 years from now? I can't see anyone complaining about him, considering he has played exactly 1 game this season.
• Problem in net? Cooley complaining? Doesn't seem like the type.

Yeah, I can buy that this team is unhappy. They better be unhappy, or I will question their character. I just don't buy that there is some kind of a vet vs young player issue going on. I am not seeing it, and if there are young guys complaining about it, then I would question their sanity.

This is simply an unhappy group right now, as they should be. I am fine with this. They showed us that the culture hasn't really changed. It doesn't mean that they have a bad culture, it just says that it isn't the culture that they appeared to have last season. They obviously still care and are trying. I don't see a team that has really gone belly up - they just keep making terrible mistakes, and are just not all pulling together to out-compete the opposing teams night in, and night out.

In the end, this is simply a good thing. There will be no surprise win streaks, and finishing in the mushy middle.

All I am hoping for is that these vets and expendable players - Kadri, Coleman (who I love), Andersson, Hanley, Miromanov, Frost, Farabee - whichever vets are expendable long term since they won't be a part of the team in a few years - I hope they all do well and get a longer leash than the young players, so that they can build up some value and be worth something at the deadline. Yes, I am including Farabee and Frost here because, although they have been good (well, Frost has improved lately), I don't see them as part of a long-term solution and are simply placeholders. If they build up value, trade them this deadline. If not, keep them until there is value, or they simply get bumped-off the lineup because younger and better players pushed them out down the line at some point.

Either way, players being grumpy should not surprise any of us. Heck, when life is challenging, sometimes it is tough for a married couple to get along, right? It is much easier to get along when things are going well. They will figure it out. While it is obvious to me that they don't have that 'great culture' like last season, this is what I would expect a team with a strong culture to be like - mad at losing.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

They’ve alright rebuilt before under Edwards (yes yes, endless arguments about “true” rebuilds and whether it went far enough or whatever aside) so the history doesn’t really support that.

And I don’t think Dreger really said anything of the sort, it was just interpreted that way by some.

They rebuilt because they had no other choice their franchise players were moving on and did it as fast as possible trading 2 first rounders and 4 second rounders for upgrades within the first 4 years of rebuilding.

Was it Brad that put his foot on the gas to try and take short cuts or was that the mandate?

There is a reason what Dreger said was interpreted by fans in a certain way once ownership was brought up.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

They rebuilt because they had no other choice their franchise players were moving on and did it as fast as possible trading 2 first rounders and 4 second rounders for upgrades within the first 4 years of rebuilding.

Was it Brad that put his foot on the gas to try and take short cuts or was that the mandate?

There is a reason what Dreger said was interpreted by fans in a certain way once ownership was brought up.

Can you name one rebuild in history that was started despite having other viable options to compete?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

They rebuilt because they had no other choice their franchise players were moving on and did it as fast as possible trading 2 first rounders and 4 second rounders for upgrades within the first 4 years of rebuilding.

Was it Brad that put his foot on the gas to try and take short cuts or was that the mandate?

There is a reason what Dreger said was interpreted by fans in a certain way once ownership was brought up.

I dunno Brad seems to be doing the same thing in Toronto. It seems to be what he does.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Can you name one rebuild in history that was started despite having other viable options to compete?

Philly trading Richards and Carter for picks and prospects?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Philly trading Richards and Carter for picks and prospects?

A big piece in the Carter deal was Voracek who had 3 nhl seasons under his belt
And Richards was traded for a package largely around Schenn and Symmonds who also were nhlers