At some point between now and the March 8 2024 Trade Deadline, Noah Hanifin will be wearing a different jersey. The Calgary Flames were unable to get him locked up to a long-term deal as they had originally hoped, making it a foregone conclusion that his days with the organization are limited.
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Hanifin, who has been a steady top-four defenceman for the Flames for several seasons, is playing the best hockey of his career in 2023-24. While offence has never been the main part of his game, he is currently on pace for 47 points, which would be just one shy of his career-high set in 2021-22. His defensive play has been incredible as well, which has given head coach Ryan Huska the confidence to play him in all situations.
Hanifin’s offensive abilities were on display Saturday night (Feb. 24), as he had two goals and three points in the Flames’ 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He also logged a team-high 25:05 in ice time. It was a great showing for a player who has tons of eyes on him right now, and could prove to be huge for the Flames.
Hanifin is the Best Defenceman Available
Several playoff-calibre teams across the league could use improvements on their blue lines ahead of the deadline, and there is no doubt Hanifin is the best available. If the 27-year-old were to agree to a sign and trade, the Flames have an opportunity to land a massive haul.
Earlier in the month, the Flames were able to receive Andrei Kuzmenko, prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2024 from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Elias Lindholm. It was a phenomenal return for general manager Craig Conroy, especially given Lindholm had been struggling for the Flames, with nine goals and 32 points in 49 games.
As mentioned, Hanifin has been anything but struggling this season, and garnered even more discussion after Saturday night’s performance. A return for the smooth-skating blueliner should see the Flames get an even better package than they were able to pull off for Lindholm. If he agrees to a sign-and-trade, the Flames have an opportunity to receive a very good prospect, some top-end draft picks, and a current NHL player. Should he continue to play at an elite level in his remaining games as a Flame, the package may increase even further.
Tanev Also Solid Against Oilers
Another player on the block who was great against the Oilers was Chris Tanev. He finished the night with a plus/minus of plus-3 in more than 21 minutes of ice time, while also blocking four shots. The Flames were able to kill off two of the three power play opportunities the Oilers had on the night, and the 34-year-old was a big reason as to why.
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Given his age and lack of offensive skill, Tanev won’t fetch as big of a return as Hanifin. The Flames are said to be holding out on moving him in hopes of getting a first-round pick, and performances like Saturday’s may help give a team the push to do so. Ironically, the Oilers are one of the teams said to be in on Tanev, and you can’t help but wonder if Oilers GM Ken Holland was impressed enough to part ways with his 2024 first-round pick to get a deal done.
Flames Continuing to Stay in the Race
Despite all the noise surrounding the Flames this season, they have done a good job at blocking it out and are playing some of their best hockey as of late. Saturday’s win marked four in a row, and while they do sit five points shy of the Nashville Predators for a wild-card position, they also have a game in hand. Whether they can get in remains to be seen, but it is clear that they won’t be going down without a fight.
