The Calgary Flames don’t appear to be in any rush to make trades at this time, but it still feels more likely than not that Noah Hanifin will be on the move between now and the trade deadline. The 26-year-old has been involved in trade rumours since the end of the 2022-23 campaign, and will be of high interest to contending teams as a rental in the final year of his contract.
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Aside from Elias Lindholm, Hanifin is the most valuable trade piece the Flames have. He is a player who can play in all situations and has a very friendly $4.95 million cap hit. Any team looking to bolster their top four would certainly do so by adding him. These three teams in particular serve as very good fits.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a very strong team offensively, and could be primed for another lengthy playoff run. That said, if they hope to get different results this time around, they will need to improve their blue line, and acquiring Hanifin would help them do just that.
The Flames are said to be looking for young players who are ready to make an NHL impact, and the Panthers have several that fit the bill. While 22-year-old Anton Lundell would be the ideal get, Eetu Luostarinen is an intriguing player as well who could really pop off if given a bigger opportunity than he has received with the Panthers.
San Jose Sharks
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said weeks ago that the San Jose Sharks were a team with plenty of interest in Hanifin. While it seems somewhat surprising given how much they are struggling this season, any deal between the two would certainly involve a sign-and-trade similar to what we saw between the Panthers and Flames with Matthew Tkachuk.
While the Sharks aren’t going to turn into a playoff contender any time soon, they would be able to pay Hanifin a ton, and there are certainly worse places to live than San Jose. On top of that, they boast several young prospects who will help the team turn things around sooner rather than later, which could be intriguing to Hanifin in itself.
Anaheim Ducks
Another California team that could serve as a great fit for Hanifin is the Anaheim Ducks. Like the Sharks, any potential deal between these two teams would involve a sign-and-trade. The reasons for Hanifin to sign with the Ducks would be even more obvious, as they too are a young and rebuilding team, but one that is much further ahead in that process than the Sharks.
Related: Flames’ Lindholm Far From Elite Without Tkachuk & Gaudreau
The Ducks have plenty of cap space to pull off a Hanifin trade, and several assets to make it happen. The Flames should try and go for Jamie Drysdale, and while that may be a pipe dream, it never hurts to ask. Another option could be Tristan Luneau, who is currently playing as a rookie on the Ducks’ blue line at just 19 years old.
Flames Have a Great Opportunity to Retool
As disappointing as it is that additions such as Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri haven’t helped turn the Flames into contenders, it isn’t all bad for the organization and its fans. With the two mentioned players in Hanifin and Lindholm likely on the move, as well as two other highly sought-after talents in Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, the Flames have an opportunity to pull in some big returns. Whether they get back roster players like they reportedly desire or perhaps prospects, it will help them get things turned around much sooner than many would expect. It should be quite fun to see what types of returns general manager Craig Conroy is able to bring in.
