2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Badgers Nose]

Awesome change of scenery trade.

[Rhett44]

Not interested in Kotkaniemi. We have enough boat anchor contracts, I want picks.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe a Kotkaniemi for Sharngovich swap with some minor prospects to balance it out.

Oh please yes!

And I dont think highly of Kotkaniemi

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe a Kotkaniemi for Sharngovich swap with some minor prospects to balance it out.

I have more confidence that Yegor will have more value when we move some players.

I also would prefer to get better assets and just take on Kotkaniemi. His contract is bad but he has played better than this before and is big and plays chippy. Wins face offs too. I can see him being a quality 3rd line center.

[jmac98]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Maybe a Kotkaniemi for Sharngovich swap with some minor prospects to balance it out.

You spelled Huberdeau wrong (green text)

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Not interested in Kotkaniemi. We have enough boat anchor contracts, I want picks.

We’re not getting picks for Sharangovich, we’d be giving them.

[MacDaddy77]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Its kind of funny how so many of the GIFs are posted in the middle of the night. I picture them being woken up with news, wiping the sleep from their eyes and groggily searching for the right GIF.

Perhaps Sec 214 is a sadist and his posts are purposefully late at night to get pleasure in keeping people up with pending news.

That or he's just a night owl. Either or

[mdubz]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

If he doesn’t like LA for family reasons can’t imagine him staying in Baltimore passed this contract.

But you are right, ot would be fun to see them join forced chirping in the playoffs. That’s FLA level maybe.

Maybe he loves Trump?

[Badgers Nose]

JK will end up a useful player somewhere else and we’ll lament Flames didn’t pay the modest price. That’s my guess.

This is a side quest for Conroy. The main quest is trade Ras. He probably can’t spare the cycles.

[Bert]

I would hardly consider 4.82m contract a boat anchor

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Bert

I would hardly consider 4.82m contract a boat anchor

Agreed. Cap is going up big again next year. He probably is a good 4th line center at worst. Derek Ryan was an ok 4th line center at $3.5 mil in a $80 mil cap. KK is probably $1M over paid.

IMO why trade Yegor for KK when both could do better in more significant roles.

Frost is producing similar to both and gets way more prime ice. Carolina would probably give us a good pick with KK for Frost. IMO we hardly lose player for player if you shift the ice time. My guess is you get a 2nd at minimum in the trade.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

JK will end up a useful player somewhere else and we’ll lament Flames didn’t pay the modest price. That’s my guess.

This is a side quest for Conroy. The main quest is trade Ras. He probably can’t spare the cycles.

I agree, could be a Sam Bennett situation. He might be down on his confidence and really the whole offer sheet stuff and where he was drafted creates big expectations and can be hard on a young player.

[JTech780]

Considering what Dvorak and Wennberg just signed for, I think there will be a team that will have interest in Kotkeniemi at a discounted rate. He is still only 25, prior to this season he was a pretty solid 3rd line center, 4 more years at $4.82m isn't terrible. He does have a 10 team NTC, but I think he would waive it for a change of scenery.

I am not sure where he would fit here at the moment, but if the cost is right I wouldn't be opposed.

[Monahammer]

Kotka for Sharango is good. I like that. I would also do the Poirier swap.

But, I suspect someone will trade more for him. He has a similar vibe to Morgan Geekie and look what a good spot did for him.

[Niemo]

4.82 MM might not be an anchor itself, but add that to the very mediocre "middle 6" guys we have in the 3.8 - 5.75MM bodies we have (Farabee, Frost, Zary, Sharangovich) and it adds up.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

https://twitter.com/user/status/2009639939583906141

You would have to think the Canes would have to give up assets to get rid of this contract. That's something I would consider if I were the Flames, but I wouldn't even pick the player off waivers.

He would be a decent stopgap while we wait for Reschny to make the NHL. That would put the Flames in DuPont 2027 and Schultz 2028 conversation. Canes would need to use (2) 1sts and a top prospect for Kadri, imo. JK has a lot of term and is a cup dump at this point.

[Sandman]

I used to defend KK when he still had scoring potential. Might still be a bottom six player worth reclaiming there.

Either way, if it got us a good, young player or a first-rounder, they could throw him in as a salary dump…

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I have never understood the entire league's fascination with Kotkaniemi. Always overhyped. I never saw a stand out player at any point in my viewings of him. Let's not double down on hoping he'll suddenly pop with us.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

He would be a decent stopgap while we wait for Reschny to make the NHL. That would put the Flames in DuPont 2027 and Schultz 2028 conversation. Canes would need to use (2) 1sts and a top prospect for Kadri, imo. JK has a lot of term and is a cup dump at this point.

Carolina is one of the best teams in the league and yet they have Staal who is a 4th liner and Janko at center. I think if they traded with the Flames Frost for JK and a 2nd, they gain cap space, gain at center and keep their best assets.

They could then make a run at another center who is better than Frost and a better 2nd line option. Move Frost to the wing and have him in case of injuries. Janko also depth at center in case of injuries.

JK is worth the risk that he is better than he is playing and plays a style that could fit as a 3rd liner near the end of the deal when Backlund is gone and young players come in who are better than he is.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Bert

I would hardly consider 4.82m contract a boat anchor

Maybe too strong of term. Fair.

But you don't want almost $5M as a nightly healthy scratch for a 2nd rounder.