In another “where there is smoke there is fire” rumour to come to fruition, the Calgary Flames have traded top four defenceman Noah Hanifin.
Can confirm that Noah Hanifin is heading to #VGK.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 6, 2024
The Vegas Golden Knights would gladly take on his contract for a deep playoff run.
Calgary Flames Trade Noah Hanifin
Originally drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, Noah Hanifin found his way to Calgary as a part of the big Dougie Hamilton/Elias Lindholm trade (with some other pieces involved). Since spending time in Calgary since the 2018-19 season, Hanifin has developed into a reliable top-four defenceman. He may not be quite as elite as some pre-draft projections had him, but he nevertheless is a very effective defender.
His best offensive season came in 2021-22 when he put up ten goals and 38 assists in 81 games. Even though it is not really the most reliable stat, he was also a plus 27 in that season. He is a great all situations defenceman with a good skating ability. Hanifin can play on the power play, penalty kill and be a reliable top four defenceman at 5v5. All of this is not to mention that he is 6′ 3″ and 207 lbs which is a solid size for a defenceman with good skating ability.
What This Means
At 26 years old, Hanifin is really just in his prime now. The ups and downs involving the Calgary Flames and Hanifin between re-signing versus trading ended up tipping towards this eventual move. But Calgary decided to recoup assets for the pending UFA. He will certainly be looking at a raise from his current $4.95 million AAV.
For the Golden Knights, they are getting exactly what was described above. An all-situations, sizeable defenceman who can push the puck and also play defence responsibly. For someone in his prime, he can be a big help now and in the future. He certainly helps improve the depth and quality of the team’s defensive core.
Main Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
