After a promising Global Series in Melbourne, Australia, the next chapter of Arizona Coyotes hockey was on the horizon. From the offseason additions to Logan Cooley signing his entry-level contract, the sun was beaming in the desert. Now that the team is just over a month into the season, there has been a glut of ups and downs. One of the flaws many fans speculated would be an issue was the defense, and while that hasn’t killed them yet, it certainly isn’t up to par with some of their Central Division foes.
With the downward spiral of the Calgary Flames, Elliotte Friedman presented the idea on 32 thoughts that the Coyotes could be a team interested in defenseman Noah Hanifin. This is most interesting as the Coyotes would likely have to give up more than they’d be willing to, especially at this point in the season. With that said, they should steer clear of Hanifin, and there are numerous reasons why.
Hanifin Isn’t Young Like the Coyotes’ Core
Throughout the past three seasons, building a culture and foundation has been among the top priorities for general manager Bill Armstrong. So far, that plan has worked, as the Coyotes have a young core of players who are among some of the future stars in the NHL; someone like Cooley, who is just 18 years old, and even Clayton Keller, who is just 25. With that, Hanifin doesn’t exactly fit the mold Armstrong has created in the desert with his age.
Hanifin is 26 years old right now, but he will turn 27 by the time free agency rolls around next summer. So, while he isn’t exactly old by any measure, he surely wouldn’t be the youngest on the team. Even a guy like Sean Durzi, who was traded for last July, was 24 years old at the time of the trade and was much cheaper than what Hanifin will cost. The cost was just a mere second-round pick for Durzi, who is also tied for second in the NHL for goals by a defenseman.
Hanifin will likely cost at least a first-round pick, which makes no sense for the Coyotes, especially with the direction the team is heading in.
Contract Extension Would Have Long-Lasting Consequences
Hanifin currently has a $4.95 million cap hit with the Flames and is expected to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the summer. With this, he will need a new contract, and will likely be asking for quite a lot of money, and for the Coyotes, it wouldn’t make sense to give someone like him that kind of money. The Coyotes don’t have to worry about any significant contacts coming up, with players in Nick Schmaltz, Keller, and Lawson Crouse being signed long-term, but for future players, they need as much cap space as they can get.
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Matias Maccelli was signed to a contract extension last summer, as well as Jack McBain, but Barrett Hayton will be looking for one this summer. While he hasn’t necessarily gotten off to a hot start on the stat sheet, he has had a crucial role in helping Keller and Schmaltz on the first line. J.J. Moser, who has come into his own, will also be looking for a new contract, so giving Hanifin $6-8 million per season simply doesn’t make sense. He would also likely be looking for a long-term contract lasting seven or eight years. By then, he could be 34 or 35 years old and well out of his prime.
Where the Coyotes are trending, having a contract like that could turn into a liability down the stretch.
No Reason to Make Move Now, Especially With Prospects Arriving
Yet another reason why trading for Hanifin doesn’t make sense is the amount of prospects the Coytoes have coming up and sliding into the NHL roster. An example is Maveric Lamoureux, who has been tearing up the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to start the season. Armstrong has even hinted at the possibility of Lamoureux playing with the Coyotes next season and bypassing the American Hockey League (AHL).
They also have highly touted defenseman Dmitri Simashev, who will eventually make the team. He has a contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for the next two seasons, but if they feel his game is strong enough, he could be with the Coyotes to start the 2025-26 season. More prospects will be with the team that aren’t listed, and trading for Hanifin could stunt some of their development paths.
If the Coyotes want to continue the youth movement they have going on, trading for Hanifin would be a big mistake.
Coyotes Sitting Well in Central to Begin the Season
Fifteen games into the season, the Coyotes have a 7-6-2 record, and from where this team’s roster stood in 2022-23, this is a massive improvement. After being injured for a while, Jason Zucker is starting to find his footing. Crouse has also been red hot as of late, which is a sign of good things to come. Durzi has also shown his full potential with a bigger role in Arizona, so it really makes no sense to trade for Hanifin. Rumors will still swirl, yet there is no need to pay the price for a player like him, given the multitude of variables.