Rumor: 2026 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Offseason Edition

[Ararana]

I can’t wait to see how Florida magically manages to fit Hellebuyck. The Vegas/Dallas of the East.

 

[Balthazar]

I can’t wait to see how Florida magically manages to fit Hellebuyck. The Vegas/Dallas of the East.

Pretty much the only way to do it would be sending Lundell and ERod, but Zito told the Sens he'd not move Lundell.

 

[Bender]

This did not happen. I was told repeatedly that Brady doesn't want to move and loves it in Ottawa.

 

[Bender]

In that scenario…

• Brindley, Hughes, and Ivan make the team.
• Kulak re-signed for $4.5m x 4y. Might need to make it 5 years, whatever. Window is closed in those later years anyways.
• Nichushkin and Drury traded for futures.

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You’re looking at $5.8m to get a 6D + 2 healthy scratches.

A guy like Gagne could win a spot out of camp, but let’s just assume we go with two AHL “vets” as the scratches in Middleton and Nielsen(this guy had a great preseason last year for us).

Middleton($850k) + Nielsen($850k) = $1.7m

That leaves a hair over $4.175m for the 6th defenseman.

Ideally, that 6D is in that $1.5m-$2.5m range and we can either bank a couple of million in cap space through the season or sign a Tatarsson in the summer.

It's a good cap compliant roster but one that should strike the fear of absolutely no one for the 2027 playoffs.

Sadly, I've lost faith that this can be a Cup winning team... I don't think the stars will align again to give us opponents that will succumb to bednar's system and its going to be the same story again next year.

My only true hope is that Joe Sakic truly already knows that he's going to need to move on from this coach at some point during next season - and is going to stall on getting his extension done.

If they re-sign him this summer that tells me that : they are 'ok' with just 1 Cup with this group and are 'fine' with just being a good team that makes the playoffs and maybe wins a round or two.

 

[Ararana]

Pretty much the only way to do it would be sending Lundell and ERod, but Zito told the Sens he'd not move Lundell.

I say it mostly joking. Mostly.

 

[The AntiBob]

My guess for Florida goalies is Akira schmid and montembault

 

[dahrougem2]

Pretty much the only way to do it would be sending Lundell and ERod, but Zito told the Sens he'd not move Lundell.

Maybe he wouldn't move Lundell for Tkachuk but he might for Hellebuyck.

 

[Balthazar]

Maybe he wouldn't move Lundell for Tkachuk but he might for Hellebuyck.

Would be smarter to re-sign Bob and keep Lundell though.

 

[Balthazar]

Flames already trying to cut corners and avoid rebuilding properly

 

[dahrougem2]

Would be smarter to re-sign Bob and keep Lundell though.

Agreed but:

1) It feels like Bob wants more money/term than Florida is willing to offer, and

2) Bob was horrific last season. His numbers were Georgiev-esque.

 

[shadow1]

I thought it would be Hellebuyck but their lack of draft capital makes it unlikely now IMO.

Adin Hill would be doing Vegas a favour and Florida taking a massive gamble.

Montembault I can't see - he's plain bad.

Markstrom I don't know if Florida also wants to take that risk.

Binnington the same can be said BUT Florida might think he's won big games before, our team is good enough we can insulate him. I don't think he's good at all anymore but Florida might think he's the guy with their remaining cap space and how little he likely costs to acquire.

The Brady move is super fun, but what they needed the most was a goalie. They missed the playoffs last season because of Barkov/Matthew, but Bob was dog shit and is a thousand years old. They should be an easy team for a goalie to play behind, but those names are brutal.

 

[Pokecheque]

Flames already trying to cut corners and avoid rebuilding properly

Well yeah the owners are scared to death a crappy team is gonna open their new rink. They basically had to be dragged kicking and screaming into this tank job already.