2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Bert

I think what most fans want to see is just the team picking a direction. If it’s acquire young players. Do that. Sell of Vets and draft? Do that. Ideally we bottom out as well this year and maybe next, but would be nice to see.

They've picked a direction. It's just not the direction that some want so they're vocal about it.

Them trading Andersson, Kadri, or Coleman before Christmas was always unlikely unless one of them requested a trade like Hughes or they got an offer that was too good to pass up.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Man it'd be nice if Ras would agree to an extension with San Jose. It'd be interesting to see what they could get from the Sharks for that many years of Ras locked up.

I agree but personally I think adding a 30 year old and giving him the contract he wants would be a big mistake by the Sharks. They are going to be handing out some monster deals and realistically when they want to contend for a cup it will be unlikely that Andersson would be a positive asset at $9M per

If the Flames get a couple high picks over the next couple of years I certainly would not like to see them go out in 2 years and trade for a 30 year old and give him a retirement contract

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Bert

I think what most fans want to see is just the team picking a direction. If it’s acquire young players. Do that. Sell of Vets and draft? Do that. Ideally we bottom out as well this year and maybe next, but would be nice to see.

Haven't they made it clear, this team is rebuilding/retooling what ever we want to call it. I have yet to see a deal where Conroy is trading in vets to help us win.

They're selling assets off at their price, not making EA NHL deals just for the sake of trading players.

[Tbull8]

Shesterkin and Fox both going on IR for the Rangers

[TheIronMaiden]

The only viable complaint about the Flames direction is that losing is boring, and waiting for trades is also boring.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Inferno

They've picked a direction. It's just not the direction that some want so they're vocal about it.

Them trading Andersson, Kadri, or Coleman before Christmas was always unlikely unless one of them requested a trade like Hughes or they got an offer that was too good to pass up.

I actually don't agree that they have picked a direction. If we are to believe Eric Francis is the mouth piece for Flames management, earlier this year he wrote an article about embracing a 1 year faceplant and a rebuild. But then we went on our hot streak and he has been talking lately about how you have to reward the locker room and not trade vets.

This doesn't sound like a direction to me. It sounds like reactionary decision making based on small sample sizes. One 10 game stretch should not change your plans, regardless.

Of course, maybe it is just his opinion. But he does tend to speak for Flames ownership/management often.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I agree but personally I think adding a 30 year old and giving him the contract he wants would be a big mistake by the Sharks. They are going to be handing out some monster deals and realistically when they want to contend for a cup it will be unlikely that Andersson would be a positive asset at $9M per

If the Flames get a couple high picks over the next couple of years I certainly would not like to see them go out in 2 years and trade for a 30 year old and give him a retirement contract

I doubt they want to wait 6 more years before they’re contending for a cup, so I don’t really see the issue.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I actually don't agree that they have picked a direction. If we are to believe Eric Francis is the mouth piece for Flames management, earlier this year he wrote an article about embracing a 1 year faceplant and a rebuild. But then we went on our hot streak and he has been talking lately about how you have to reward the locker room and not trade vets.

This doesn't sound like a direction to me. It sounds like reactionary decision making based on small sample sizes. One 10 game stretch should not change your plans, regardless.

Of course, maybe it is just his opinion. But he does tend to speak for Flames ownership/management often.

Does he, though? Do we have any actual evidence that he’s ever spoken for management?

Just curious how much time we’re going to spend new things to prop up to keep the tenuous grip on the reality we’ve constructed going here.

I don’t really think it’s a good use of anyone’s time going ditch to ditch with every couple wins or losses and trying to find a new person that “speaks for management” every time an actual source or management themselves says something that runs counter to the whining narrative.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I actually don't agree that they have picked a direction. If we are to believe Eric Francis is the mouth piece for Flames management, earlier this year he wrote an article about embracing a 1 year faceplant and a rebuild. But then we went on our hot streak and he has been talking lately about how you have to reward the locker room and not trade vets.

This doesn't sound like a direction to me. It sounds like reactionary decision making based on small sample sizes. One 10 game stretch should not change your plans, regardless.

Of course, maybe it is just his opinion. But he does tend to speak for Flames ownership/management often.

You can believe Francis is the mouthpiece for the team if you want but I don't.

I go by what Conroy says and what his actions are. Get younger and move out veterans when he sees fit. You might think that he should have moved out players sooner but that doesn't really matter because he's the one who gets paid to make those decisions.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I doubt they want to wait 6 more years before they’re contending for a cup, so I don’t really see the issue.

Just look at the history of when teams typically contend for cups after they draft their franchise players. The Sharks realistically are looking to contend in 2032-2034. Pittsburgh and Chicago were the outliers in the cap era.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I actually don't agree that they have picked a direction. If we are to believe Eric Francis is the mouth piece for Flames management, earlier this year he wrote an article about embracing a 1 year faceplant and a rebuild. But then we went on our hot streak and he has been talking lately about how you have to reward the locker room and not trade vets.

This doesn't sound like a direction to me. It sounds like reactionary decision making based on small sample sizes. One 10 game stretch should not change your plans, regardless.

Of course, maybe it is just his opinion. But he does tend to speak for Flames ownership/management often.

The direction is crystal clear in my mind.

The extent of which they are going to lean into that crystal clear direction is still up for debate.

[dino7c]

Darn, we were actually discussing rumors for a bit there

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Y`
I go by what Conroy says and what his actions are. Get younger and move out veterans when he sees fit. You might think that he should have moved out players sooner but that doesn't really matter because he's the one who gets paid to make those decisions.

I think Murray Edwards has to approve much of what Conroy does.

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I think Murray Edwards has to approve much of what Conroy does.

Despite the fact that at least two of our insiders have tried to make very, very clear that it isn't actually like that?

[Roko]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Shesterkin and Fox both going on IR for the Rangers

Ok so in theory if it’s them in on Andersson. What do they have that we want?

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I think Murray Edwards has to approve much of what Conroy does.

Guess you didn't see Royle9's message. Or you just choose to not believe it.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Just to be ***CRYSTAL** (ooh soo icy) clear - He (Craig Conroy) can move ANYONE.

Can he move Maloney somewhere. Please . Pretty please

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Nikita Nesterenko is on waivers. He's big, he's fast, works hard, and he is decent defensively. He's only 24, plays LW in ANA, but I believe he was drafted as a C. I think he would be a good addition to whoever claims him off waivers.

Couldn't hurt to grab him and see if he can be a C for us.

Huska seems to want to keep Kerins down until there is a top nine slot for him. Maybe Nikita is an upgrade on Kirkland?

[Enoch Root]

Regarding whether Francis is 'a mouthpiece for management'...

Even if he is (and I suspect he occasionally gets a morsel to chew on), that DOES NOT mean that everything he says is coming from management.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Regarding whether Francis is 'a mouthpiece for management'...

Even if he is (and I suspect he occasionally gets a morsel to chew on), that DOES NOT mean that everything he says is coming from management.

I think he trial balloons. Doesn't mean it's what they're going to do.