Speculation: 2026 NHL Draft June 26-27 (Flames Pick #6 OA)

[Ledge And Dairy]

Ill believe that, when I see it. Especially since he was one of the best flames down the stretch, signed for 2 more years, is easily one of the 3 best left shot defensemen on the roster and Brew is waiver exempt. It's Maata, and the kids need to play in order to progress but he wont sit in the press box while he's, still currently better than 50% of the defense. Space will have to be made and I'm still betting on a team offering up a deal Conny can't refuse for Whitecloud, regardless of what he says.

It's definitely a sellers market right now. I know we really want to keep Whitecloud, but if the price is right we have to take it IMO. I think we should be shopping all of Whitecloud, Maatta, Hanley, and Pachal right now. Though I think the last 3 won't garner remotely as much of a return. Maatta's post deadline play should at least put him at positive value though.

The UFA market is brutal so expect a lot more to happen between now and July 1st

 

[Lunatik]

Bahl - Nemec
Parekh - Whitecloud
Kuz - Brew


There is zero room for Maatta.

With Brz being exempt another year, they're gonna see if they can build Maatta's value some whilst letting Brz get 20min+ a night

 

[Zirakzigil]

With Brz being exempt another year, they're gonna see if they can build Maatta's value some whilst letting Brz get 20min+ a night

Playing where? His offside? Hanley and Pachal will be kept around for depth. Maatta is the odd man out.

 

[Sparky93]

Playing where? His offside? Hanley and Pachal will be kept around for depth. Maatta is the odd man out.

Maatta has always played either side. Kuz-Maatta is actually a much better pairing. It's the Flames and a vet, who's currently better will not sit. Terrible asset management for any team to do that. Maatta could've easily been an upgrade to bottom pairing forhalf the playoff teams this year and with the cap going up, who knows what a team may give up.

 

[Darth Vladar]

- If the Jets move Helly they definitely won't be a contender. But they are also only 1 year removed from being the best team in the league. I expect they will be better next year regardless.
- St. Louis I have no idea on, if they trade Thomas then they will be worse, but their success lies almost entirely in if they get any level of goaltending above average.
- Hawks won't be a playoff team, but they will be better. Between Frondell and Kanterov, they are adding a lot of offense to that team. And Byram will improve their team right away, regardless of peoples thoughts on the trade.
- LA's still a wildcard, EP40 is likely going to get traded somewhere and I think it will be there or Detroit.
- I think the Canucks will be brutal next year, especially if they move out their top two or more of Pettersson, DeBrusk, Boeser, and Hronek (which I think is fairly likely).

I'm not saying we will be last or even 2nd last, but to make the playoffs we have to be at worst like 14th last. I have a very hard time seeing more than 10 teams being better than us. I don't think we are remotely close to Anaheim anymore, and Utah is also probably way better than us now too. Nashville and Seattle are weird, but unlike us they are actively trying to improve their rosters this offseason to make the playoffs.

I’m sure the Jets being one year removed from being the best team in the league had nothing to do with Hellybuyck’s Hart-caliber 47-win season lol the Jets’ short-term hopes and dreams rest on whether that man stays in or leaves Winnipeg.

St. Louis is not a playoff team even with Thomas imho.

I agree that Chicago will likely be a little better next year, but I still think they’ll need another year to put it together, and will probably toss the last 20-30 games or so to assure at least one more high pick like the Leafs did last season.

I’m on the fence about LA too. Plenty of time between now and the start of the season to make some moves, but as it stands they are essentially the same team as last year minus Kopitar.

The Cansucks can and most certainly will suck.

I thought I heard that a few key guys might be on their way out of Anaheim, which was what led me to think they might take a step back. I actually see San Jose overtaking Anaheim as next season’s version of last season’s Ducks.

Utah definitely has a few real nice higher-end players, but I don’t see a great deal of depth there. They could make it interesting with a hot streak or two, but ultimately I’d put them in the same category with Anaheim.

I thought the Preds really came on strong and played some solid hockey in the last third of the season, and didn’t miss out on the playoffs by much. Seldom ever let me down on pro line when they were hot lol. I think they’ll pick up where they left off.

Seattle seems like another team wanting to make forward strides this season, whether or not they actually do.

So yeah, maybe we don’t quite reach Anaheim or Utah, but I’m doubling down on my opinion that the Flames will give us a better final Saddledome season than perhaps some of us are expecting.

The same five teams will be at or near the top
(COL, DAL, MIN, VGK, EDM)

Then you’ll have the mushy middle
(SJ, UTA, ANA, NAS, SEA, CGY)

Then the teams that will either start or continue to suck
(CHI, WIN, LA, STL, VAN)

At least how I see it if the season were to start tomorrow.

 

[Sparky93]

I’m sure the Jets being one year removed from being the best team in the league had nothing to do with Hellybuyck’s Hart-caliber 47-win season lol the Jets’ short-term hopes and dreams rest on whether that man stays in or leaves Winnipeg.

St. Louis is not a playoff team even with Thomas imho.

I agree that Chicago will likely be a little better next year, but I still think they’ll need another year to put it together, and will probably toss the last 20-30 games or so to assure at least one more high pick like the Leafs did last season.

I’m on the fence about LA too. Plenty of time between now and the start of the season to make some moves, but as it stands they are essentially the same team as last year minus Kopitar.

The Cansucks can and most certainly will suck.

I thought I heard that a few key guys might be on their way out of Anaheim, which was what led me to think they might take a step back. I actually see San Jose overtaking Anaheim as next season’s version of last season’s Ducks.

Utah definitely has a few real nice higher-end players, but I don’t see a great deal of depth there. They could make it interesting with a hot streak or two, but ultimately I’d put them in the same category with Anaheim.

I thought the Preds really came on strong and played some solid hockey in the last third of the season, and didn’t miss out on the playoffs by much. Seldom ever let me down on pro line when they were hot lol. I think they’ll pick up where they left off.

Seattle seems like another team wanting to make forward strides this season, whether or not they actually do.

So yeah, maybe we don’t quite reach Anaheim or Utah, but I’m doubling down on my opinion that the Flames will give us a better final Saddledome season than perhaps some of us are expecting.

The same five teams will be at or near the top
(COL, DAL, MIN, VGK, EDM)

Then you’ll have the mushy middle
(SJ, UTA, ANA, NAS, SEA, CGY)

Then the teams that will either start or continue to suck
(CHI, WIN, LA, STL, VAN)

At least how I see it if the season were to start tomorrow.

I dont see it. The Flames are a one stop shop for filling out that new found capspace, with affordable, short term contracts.
Coleman
Frost
Farabee
Strome
Zary
Whitecloud
Maatta
Most of these guys were acquired to flip under the premise that the cap was increasing significantly and they had the potential to increase their value. None of them are in the long term plans and teams will circle heavily when they look at UFA market prices. It will get worse before it gets better.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

I’m sure the Jets being one year removed from being the best team in the league had nothing to do with Hellybuyck’s Hart-caliber 47-win season lol the Jets’ short-term hopes and dreams rest on whether that man stays in or leaves Winnipeg.

St. Louis is not a playoff team even with Thomas imho.

I agree that Chicago will likely be a little better next year, but I still think they’ll need another year to put it together, and will probably toss the last 20-30 games or so to assure at least one more high pick like the Leafs did last season.

I’m on the fence about LA too. Plenty of time between now and the start of the season to make some moves, but as it stands they are essentially the same team as last year minus Kopitar.

The Cansucks can and most certainly will suck.

I thought I heard that a few key guys might be on their way out of Anaheim, which was what led me to think they might take a step back. I actually see San Jose overtaking Anaheim as next season’s version of last season’s Ducks.

Utah definitely has a few real nice higher-end players, but I don’t see a great deal of depth there. They could make it interesting with a hot streak or two, but ultimately I’d put them in the same category with Anaheim.

I thought the Preds really came on strong and played some solid hockey in the last third of the season, and didn’t miss out on the playoffs by much. Seldom ever let me down on pro line when they were hot lol. I think they’ll pick up where they left off.

Seattle seems like another team wanting to make forward strides this season, whether or not they actually do.

So yeah, maybe we don’t quite reach Anaheim or Utah, but I’m doubling down on my opinion that the Flames will give us a better final Saddledome season than perhaps some of us are expecting.

The same five teams will be at or near the top
(COL, DAL, MIN, VGK, EDM)

Then you’ll have the mushy middle
(SJ, UTA, ANA, NAS, SEA, CGY)

Then the teams that will either start continue to suck
(CHI, WIN, LA, STL, VAN)

At least how I see it if the season were to start tomorrow.

Hellebuyck did play a massive part, but there is a big difference between being a middle of the pack team and being the best team in the league. It's not like trading Hellebuyck would mean the Jets play goalieless. If he goes to Buffalo for example they will get UPL coming back the other way, and he is not a bad goalie.

I don't disagree with you about the Blues, but I think they are clearly a better team than Calgary. Why do you think they are worse? They had 6 players outscore our points leader. Two of which are still very young. They have multiple high end prospects forcing their way into prominent roles as well. Their D-core is better than ours too IMO. As I said before their success depends entirely on goaltending.

Chicago will improve, they've improved by about 10 points three years in a row. I expect they will flirt with around 80 points this year with more experience for their young blue line, improved offense, and hopefully a healthy Bedard. Knight also looked pretty legit at times too.

I think you are discounting that the Kings also added Panarin, but yeah they will need another center. They also have cap space and are a high destination team. It's already been rumoured that Gavrikov wants to go back to LA lol.

John Carlson isn't re-signing in Anaheim and Trouba might test FA. They will need to add a top 4 RD if both walk but Carlson was not there when they took over 1st in the Pacific. I fully expect that team to improve from last year with the kids having more experience. Same thing goes for Utah, you are severely underrating them.

Again Seattle and Nashville I have no idea on if they will be good or not.

I just don't see what you are seeing with the Flames. This team is going to be bad next year. Like probably real bad. Not Vancouver bad, but flirting with 65-75 points bad. Wolf wasn't great this season but he was far from awful too. We might score more goals but without Weegar and Andersson we are going to be way worse defensively. I'm fully prepared for another year of pain.

 

[Lunatik]

Playing where? His offside? Hanley and Pachal will be kept around for depth. Maatta is the odd man out.

Why is Maatta the odd man out over Hanley and Pachal exactly? There is zero reason to assume this. Now if you wanted to argue his stretch with us was a fluke and he'll lose that spot in camp, I'm not and admit it was a legitimate possibility.

But writing him off as the odd-man out right now, doesn't make much sense.