Calgary Flames

NHL Trade Talk Recap: Flames, Maple Leafs & Oilers Buffer

The Maple Leafs need more offence beyond Matthews, Nemec gets a fresh start in Calgary, and Edmonton’s Babcock gamble has a built-in buffer.

by
Old Prof
August 24, 2026

In today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap (August 24, 2026), there are three pretty different storylines. But they all come back to the same idea. Sometimes the real story isn’t the star; it’s what’s happening around them. Simon Nemec’s got a fresh start in Calgary and something to prove after New Jersey didn’t work out. Toronto’s staring down a real question about what happens to their offence when Matthews isn’t the guy carrying it. And in Edmonton, the key to Babcock actually succeeding might not be McDavid at all. It might be the guy hired to keep him in check.

NHL Trade Talk Recap Mar 3 — NHL Trade Talk Recap August 24, 2026

Simon Nemec Has Something to Prove — And Calgary’s Giving Him the Chance

Simon Nemec didn’t ask to leave New Jersey, but he’s not exactly torn up about it either. He’s being pretty upfront that things just didn’t click for him with the Devils. He never got the opportunity to really show what he could do, and once the team brought in a new GM, the writing was kind of on the wall. Now he’s heading to Calgary with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He says flat out that he wants to prove New Jersey wasn’t the right fit for him.

Calgary looks like a solid landing spot for that. The Flames gave up a real haul to get him. That includes multiple first-rounders, a second-round pick, and a prospect. So it’s clear they see him as part of their future. Head coach Ryan Huska’s already talking about a bigger role, and Nemec himself is gunning for top power-play minutes, something he never had a real shot at in New Jersey with three guys competing for the same spot. For a rebuilding team looking for a guy who can log big minutes and grow into a leader, this could end up being a pretty good match for everyone involved.

Simon Nemec Gives Take on Being Traded by the Devils, And He Didn’t Hold Back

Do the Leafs Have a Backup Plan If Matthews Cools Off?

Toronto’s offence leans hard on one guy. If Matthews is healthy and rolling, the Maple Leafs look unstoppable. But if he’s not, things get a lot more ordinary fast. Even the team’s exciting new prospect, Gavin McKenna, isn’t really a natural goal scorer. He’s more of a playmaker, which is a different skill than the “score 30 a year” trait Toronto’s actually short on.

That’s a real problem down the line. The Maple Leafs haven’t picked high in drafts often and have burned a lot of picks trying to win now. It’s not a knock on the prospect pool overall. But at some point, Chayka might need to go find a genuine goal scorer who isn’t named Matthews. Right now, that depth just isn’t really there.

Do the Maple Leafs Need Something McKenna Can’t Give Them?

The Real Key to Babcock Working Out in Edmonton Isn’t a Player

Turns out the most important hire for Mike Babcock’s success in Edmonton might not be McDavid, Draisaitl, or anyone on the ice. It’s associate coach D.J. Smith. Babcock has a real history of pushing players too far in the past; guys like Mitch Marner and Johan Franzen have said as much, and the fear is he’ll do it again in Edmonton. Smith’s job is basically to be the guy who steps in before that happens, keeping Babcock’s intensity in check without losing what makes him good.

The Oilers actually want to be pushed hard this season. They’ve said as much, but they just don’t want it to go off the rails. If Smith can be that buffer, calling things out before Babcock crosses a line, this pairing could genuinely work. It’s pretty interesting to bring in a demanding, sometimes-too-intense coach, but build in a built-in governor to keep him honest.

Babcock’s Coaching Success Could Be Thanks to One Critical Hire By the Oilers