2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

I think unquestionably moving your players who have significant roles will expose the roster and probably be difficult to navigate. To me, that's why you re-signed Backlund and Lomberg, and you have a coach in Huska that's perfectly suited to teach the younger players.

Plus, it will be for 30ish games. They probably will struggle, but some guys will gain getting more ice time than they are getting now.

Next year will be an issue, but at some point, having Kadri as your #1 center will be an issue.

Add a star at the stop of the draft and there will be improvements next year as well. How many players will play next year in this draft? Stenberg under contract in Sweden next year? I would say there will be at least 4-5 players at the top of the draft that will play next year.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Regression or decline of quality line mates?

Could be both.

Kadri's top 4 lines in terms of ice-time last year were:
Huberdeau - Kadri - Pospisil
Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Kuzmenko - Kadri - Pospisil
Zary -Kadri - Pospisil

Huska can always try to put Huberdeau back with Kadri. Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato/Farabee, didn't seem to generate much offense this year either. Maybe try Huberdeau - Kadri - Frost again?

The PP doesn't seem to be the problem, since his power play points are on par with last year. Maybe a Pospisil comeback will rejuvenate Naz, or he will just score a hat-trick tonight to prove me wrong.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

I think unquestionably moving your players who have significant roles will expose the roster and probably be difficult to navigate. To me, that's why you re-signed Backlund and Lomberg, and you have a coach in Huska that's perfectly suited to teach the younger players.

Lomberg certainly has an out-sized role in the room. More than I ever would have anticipated (I was not a fan of the signing but was wrong).

But good wingers need good centers. My concern would be if the team lacks anything close to a top 6 center, then how does that impact the development of guys like Coronato, Gridin, Honzek, etc long-term.

Part of this could reflect my disappointment in Frost.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Crosby's reputation as a whiner was/is so overblown. The spotlight he had on him every night made it so much worse than it was and he legit had a really whiny little face. Like how some guys have little rat faces, Crosby's face just looked whiny when he was in his early 20s

He was absolutely a major whiner during his first five or six years in the league. Always complaining to officials about everything. He matured quite a bit around 24 or 25, but that reputation stayed with him for a few more years after that (and that's when it was overblown).

He's said the same thing himself.

His maturing is one of the things that have made him greater than his play... something that really can't be said about the guy in Edmonton.

[Bingo]

Burke on Murray not interfering in his time in Calgary

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009009655574614134

[stemit14]

Looking at the standings at trying to piece together organizational needs along with assets those teams have that could be used to acquire Andersson/Kadri/Coleman. Note that the returns for Kadri and Coleman will likely seem high because I think teams need to overpay for Conroy to be willing to trade them this season.

Top teams that should be looking to add and who I think they could use:

MINNESOTA:
They are all in for the next two years IMO after the Hughes trade. They will likely want to be as competitive as possible with the hope of convincing him to stay as well as being as good as they can be while they have him. They could definitely use a centre after trading away Rossi. They apparently were never that enamoured with Rossi’s style of play and Kadri is the anti-Rossi in terms of playstyle so I could see them being interested. Problem is that they have really depleted their prospect base in the Hughes trade. Their package for Kadri would probably have to be pick heavy.

To Minnesota:
Kadri (20% retained)

To Calgary:
Riley Heidt + 2027 1st round pick (lottery protected) + 2028 1st round pick (lottery protected)

DETROIT:
They could use both Kadri and Andersson but I’ll say Andersson as their bigger need. Simply because they have young players ready to be their 2nd line centers as early as next season (Kasper/Danielson). They have little organizational depth as far as right-shot defencemen. Don’t think they would be a team that Andersson would sign an extension with right away though. If they had some success in the playoffs that might change. Have lots of good prospect and picks to make the trade and should be absolutely desperate to make the playoffs.

To Detroit:
Andersson

To Calgary:
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard + 2026 1st round pick

Dallas:
Andersson and Coleman are needs for Dallas. They could really use both of them but I don’t think they have the assets to acquire both or even possibly one of them if they are not willing to subtract from their roster - which teams rarely like to do at the TDL. Still, I think they make sense for Andersson and would likely have a good chance to re-sign him. I hope Conroy keeps that likelihood in mind when considering the return from a trade with Dallas to avoid what happened with Hanifin in Vegas.

To Dallas:
Andersson (50% retained)

To Calgary:
Lian Bischel + 2027 1st round pick

TAMPA BAY:
Obvious choice is Coleman. They have been “putting the band back together” lately and I could see them wanting Coleman for one last push with this core for the next couple years.

To Tampa: Coleman (50% retained) + 3rd round pick
To Calgary: Sam O’Reilly + 2026 2nd round pick + 2027 2nd round pick

LOS ANGELES:
Could definitely use Kadri and Andersson to try to change the narrative for their team going into the playoffs and they could use a center for the next couple years after Kopitar retires. For fun, I’ll put this one as a blockbuster where both Kadri and Andersson go to LA:

To LA: Kadri (20% retained) + Andersson
To Calgary: Liam Greentree + Carter George + 2026 1st round pick + 2027 1st round pick (lottery protected) + Cody Ceci

CAROLINA:
Could use a right-shot defenceman with grit and swagger. That’s Andersson.

To Carolina: Andersson
To Calgary: Bradly Nadeau + 2027 1st round pick (lottery-protected)

NEW JERSEY:
Not sure if they will be aggressive this year because they are sitting low in the standings right now (but the east is super tight)… but they likely no longer feel the need to hold onto their assets to trade for Hughes now. They will likely have to wait for free agency in 2027 to get him. In the mean time, I could see them wanting someone like Kadri and wanting the grit of Coleman. I’ll make this one a combo of both going to New Jersey. They have the assets to do it and have a recent history trading with Calgary.

To New Jersey: Kadri (20% retained) + Coleman
To Calgary: Anton Silayev + 2026 1st round pick (top 10 protected) + 2027 1st round pick (lottery-protected) + Ondrej Palat

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Burke on Murray not interfering in his time in Calgary

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009009655574614134

Clearly ME is hiding behind Burke with a gun.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Burke on Murray not interfering in his time in Calgary

Edwards has so much other stuff going that probably has higher stakes, I never really totally bought the idea that he is constantly meddling with GM decisions.

I think he is the kind of guy that holds people accountable when they don't live up to what they said they will do though, and he can be a bit aggressive when it comes to that. If you tell him that your plan is to make the playoffs at all costs, he will hold you to that. I have faith that Conroy didn't set those immediate expectations wen he was hired.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Regression or decline of quality line mates?

I do think it's a regression and nobody should be surprised

He's 35 years old. He's actually still playing better than most would expect, but I do think you can see he's slowed down a bit beyond just the counting stats.

He still has flashes but I think his impact is a bit less consistent.

I think Flames would be selling at the right time if they decide to do it now

[Robbob]

I think I have more people say ME is not involved, but for some reason that narrative just keep getting pushed.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Looking at the standings at trying to piece together organizational needs along with assets those teams have that could be used to acquire Andersson/Kadri/Coleman. Note that the returns for Kadri and Coleman will likely seem high because I think teams need to overpay for Conroy to be willing to trade them this season.

Top teams that should be looking to add and who I think they could use:

MINNESOTA:
They are all in for the next two years IMO after the Hughes trade. They will likely want to be as competitive as possible with the hope of convincing him to stay as well as being as good as they can be while they have him. They could definitely use a centre after trading away Rossi. They apparently were never that enamoured with Rossi’s style of play and Kadri is the anti-Rossi in terms of playstyle so I could see them being interested. Problem is that they have really depleted their prospect base in the Hughes trade. Their package for Kadri would probably have to be pick heavy.

To Minnesota:
Kadri (20% retained)

To Calgary:
Riley Heidt + 2027 1st round pick (lottery protected) + 2028 1st round pick (lottery protected)

DETROIT:
They could use both Kadri and Andersson but I’ll say Andersson as their bigger need. Simply because they have young players ready to be their 2nd line centers as early as next season (Kasper/Danielson). They have little organizational depth as far as right-shot defencemen. Don’t think they would be a team that Andersson would sign an extension with right away though. If they had some success in the playoffs that might change. Have lots of good prospect and picks to make the trade and should be absolutely desperate to make the playoffs.

To Detroit:
Andersson

To Calgary:
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard + 2026 1st round pick

Dallas:
Andersson and Coleman are needs for Dallas. They could really use both of them but I don’t think they have the assets to acquire both or even possibly one of them if they are not willing to subtract from their roster - which teams rarely like to do at the TDL. Still, I think they make sense for Andersson and would likely have a good chance to re-sign him. I hope Conroy keeps that likelihood in mind when considering the return from a trade with Dallas to avoid what happened with Hanifin in Vegas.

To Dallas:
Andersson (50% retained)

To Calgary:
Lian Bischel + 2027 1st round pick

TAMPA BAY:
Obvious choice is Coleman. They have been “putting the band back together” lately and I could see them wanting Coleman for one last push with this core for the next couple years.

To Tampa: Coleman (50% retained) + 3rd round pick
To Calgary: Sam O’Reilly + 2026 2nd round pick + 2027 2nd round pick

LOS ANGELES:
Could definitely use Kadri and Andersson to try to change the narrative for their team going into the playoffs and they could use a center for the next couple years after Kopitar retires. For fun, I’ll put this one as a blockbuster where both Kadri and Andersson go to LA:

To LA: Kadri (20% retained) + Andersson
To Calgary: Liam Greentree + Carter George + 2026 1st round pick + 2027 1st round pick (lottery protected) + Cody Ceci

CAROLINA:
Could use a right-shot defenceman with grit and swagger. That’s Andersson.

To Carolina: Andersson
To Calgary: Bradly Nadeau + 2027 1st round pick (lottery-protected)

NEW JERSEY:
Not sure if they will be aggressive this year because they are sitting low in the standings right now (but the east is super tight)… but they likely no longer feel the need to hold onto their assets to trade for Hughes now. They will likely have to wait for free agency in 2027 to get him. In the mean time, I could see them wanting someone like Kadri and wanting the grit of Coleman. I’ll make this one a combo of both going to New Jersey. They have the assets to do it and have a recent history trading with Calgary.

To New Jersey: Kadri (20% retained) + Coleman
To Calgary: Anton Silayev + 2026 1st round pick (top 10 protected) + 2027 1st round pick (lottery-protected) + Ondrej Palat

If those are the returns Conroy needs to get to move Kadri and Coleman, they aren't being traded.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Burke on Murray not interfering in his time in Calgary

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009009655574614134

Thanks for posting. Always great to hear from Burke, but also sad to see the years piling up on old Burkie.

Things that stuck out.

1. Talking about Murray going through a stack of papers...Riddell used to have someone print out all his emails to read, feels similar.

2. https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/arti...f-quebec-city/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/arti...f-quebec-city/

“We can feel the lack of investment every day,” he said. “We’re here to say that we’ve had enough of RCR and they’ve shown in the past that they weren’t a good operator for this beloved resort.” There's also a nice picture of a protestor who wants Murray Edwards out.

NSFW!

He's done a deal to get funds from the government, but the company's operating record is so poor the government won't release funds. They dropped a gondola car in 2022 (similar to Kicking Horse last year)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...airs-9.7016576 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...airs-9.7016576

3. Did a couple trips to Kicking Horse and Kimberly in December on my trip back to Canada, both RCR mountains. Prices are up, but everything else is exactly the same as when I was a kid. We all joked...it's skiing at the Saddledome.

No one's ever questioned the guys work ethic. I'm a believer that culture is top down in an organisation, and this is the one we have. After seeing the state of his hills and taking in the game at the Dome on Dec 27th, I'm happy we have ANY players playing for this organisation.

30yrs of neglect...yeah everything still runs...but everyone else has moved forward so much in both Skiing and Hockey. Kinda nostalgic to ride a double chair still...no centre pole though. Ha

[topfiverecords]

Eric Francis on Kyper and Bourne today for those looking for some new material.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

If those are the returns Conroy needs to get to move Kadri and Coleman, they aren't being traded.

That’s kind of what I think will ultimately happen this year though. That the asking price will be so high no team will pay it. Conroy will likely feel little motivation to trade them unless it’s for an overpay. He could surprise us though if the team struggles a lot over the next month.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Always enjoy our exchanges. I'll cruise past your little personal jabs.

Kadri may very well be liked in the room. That is not why he's being kept around.

You want me to back up an opinion with fact. How about when the Flames President of Hockey Operations came on their broadcast (that I watched) and spit in the face of a rebuild? He stood on TV and told us winning the lottery is a fantasy, that they regretted trading their pending UFAs the past few years because they'd help them be more competitive now, and then blatantly lie about when Conroy signed his contract? We can call it a PR disaster, but I saw words that matched up (historically) with I've seen from this team for my 40 years as a fan.

I mean, we can say 'trust their actions and not their words' when it's convenient for a narrative I guess? They've told us they want to make the playoffs every year. We've heard from them they wish they'd kept and signed the players that have left. Other insiders have echoed this sentiment.

Moving Kadri now breaks the mold of how the Flames have operated. Their hand will need to be forced by him, or some ludicrous overprice, for them to move him. Not because he's an amazing leader. Because with him on the team, the Flames are more competitive.

Pointing out that players, coaches, and management that are actually around Kadri and have spoken about his positive impact on them and his leadership might be better sources of information about his leadership qualities than someone who has acknowledged he doesn’t even watch games is a personal jab now?

Ho boy. Ego check required my guy.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I do think it's a regression and nobody should be surprised

He's 35 years old. He's actually still playing better than most would expect, but I do think you can see he's slowed down a bit beyond just the counting stats.

He still has flashes but I think his impact is a bit less consistent.

I think Flames would be selling at the right time if they decide to do it now

It is really hard to point to individual regression when the entire team is not scoring. The Flames 112 goals thus far this season is third worst in the league and Kadri is in on 28% of the team's goals.

It has been impressive that Kadri has contributed as much as he has with how poor the team has been at generating offense. Once Andersson is gone things will get harder.

I agree with trading him and I expect that getting traded will only help Kadri get into a proper 2nd line role where he doesn't have to do as much of the heavy lifting. However, I think it will be fine if he doesn't get traded this year. NHL GMs seem to have a better grasp on what is "personal decline" and what is "surviving on a team that is worthy of being at the bottom of the standings".

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Could be both.

Kadri's top 4 lines in terms of ice-time last year were:
Huberdeau - Kadri - Pospisil
Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Kuzmenko - Kadri - Pospisil
Zary -Kadri - Pospisil

Huska can always try to put Huberdeau back with Kadri. Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato/Farabee, didn't seem to generate much offense this year either. Maybe try Huberdeau - Kadri - Frost again?

The PP doesn't seem to be the problem, since his power play points are on par with last year. Maybe a Pospisil comeback will rejuvenate Naz, or he will just score a hat-trick tonight to prove me wrong.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Klapka.

Klapka turns pucks over better than anyone on the team, and often doing so with a big hit that can also take the defender out of the play. Pair that with Huberdeau, who excels with weird twitchy passes to odd angles, and Kadri, the best shooter and finisher on the team.

It worked last year.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Thanks for posting. Always great to hear from Burke, but also sad to see the years piling up on old Burkie.

Things that stuck out.

1. Talking about Murray going through a stack of papers...Riddell used to have someone print out all his emails to read, feels similar.

2. https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/arti...f-quebec-city/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/arti...f-quebec-city/

“We can feel the lack of investment every day,” he said. “We’re here to say that we’ve had enough of RCR and they’ve shown in the past that they weren’t a good operator for this beloved resort.” There's also a nice picture of a protestor who wants Murray Edwards out.

NSFW!

He's done a deal to get funds from the government, but the company's operating record is so poor the government won't release funds. They dropped a gondola car in 2022 (similar to Kicking Horse last year)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...airs-9.7016576 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...airs-9.7016576

3. Did a couple trips to Kicking Horse and Kimberly in December on my trip back to Canada, both RCR mountains. Prices are up, but everything else is exactly the same as when I was a kid. We all joked...it's skiing at the Saddledome.

No one's ever questioned the guys work ethic. I'm a believer that culture is top down in an organisation, and this is the one we have. After seeing the state of his hills and taking in the game at the Dome on Dec 27th, I'm happy we have ANY players playing for this organisation.

30yrs of neglect...yeah everything still runs...but everyone else has moved forward so much in both Skiing and Hockey. Kinda nostalgic to ride a double chair still...no centre pole though. Ha

So still nothing regarding meddling in the Flames. Just some gripe about some other things not Flames related.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I do think it's a regression and nobody should be surprised

He's 35 years old. He's actually still playing better than most would expect, but I do think you can see he's slowed down a bit beyond just the counting stats.

He still has flashes but I think his impact is a bit less consistent.

I think Flames would be selling at the right time if they decide to do it now

I don't think it's regression so much as it's difficult to be 35 and relied upon as a team's primary option, especially when the player isn't/has never been anyone's primary option.

That's not a slam, either - I love what Kadri's done as a Flame. But he's miscast as a team's best forward, and he's this team's best forward by a significant margin.

Put him at #2C on Dallas or Montreal or Carolina and I bet he doesn't look regressed at all.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

We've heard from them they wish they'd kept and signed the players that have left.

I don't think they've ever said this.