Craig Conroy’s first mission as the Calgary Flames’ new general manager was to get a good feel for the team’s seven 2024 unrestricted free agents (UFA). Noah Hanifin is one of the most important but is reportedly more likely to get traded than re-sign in Calgary.
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, “All signs point to defenseman Noah Hanifin not wanting to extend with the Flames, so that situation is likely headed for a trade. He’s got one year left on his deal at a $4.95 million AAV” (from “LeBrun: Erik Karlsson ‘open-minded’ on trade destinations, plus latest rumblings on Meier, Barbashev, Hellebuyck, more”, The Athletic, June 16, 2023). He could be an appealing option for many teams trying to bolster their blue line for one season or many if they decide to extend him. This 26-year-old is a strong skater and should garner a nice return. Here’s a look at the teams that might have the most interest in Hanifin.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins look to be headed for changes after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. This likely means UFA Brian Dumoulin is on his way out. The team still has a few good years left before something drastic has to change, which means players on short-term deals would suit them nicely. Hanifin fits that bill and could replace what the team would lose in Dumoulin.
Hanifin could find himself liking Pittsburgh, and the team should want to keep him around. If the Penguins want to make some noise next season, they need a better 1-2 punch on the left side than Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Marcus Pettersson. Hanifin is a first-pairing defenceman in Calgary but could fit nicely with Jeff Petry on the second pairing. His cap hit is also affordable, which is what the Penguins need right now.
Washington Capitals
Not to lose a step on the Penguins, another veteran team also taking a couple of final runs at a Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals might be in on the Hanifin sweepstakes as well. The addition of Rasmus Sandin this season didn’t cover everything that Dmitry Orlov had locked down. Sandin is young and should get regular third-pairing minutes with the opportunity to move up as needed.
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The Capitals’ defence could be considered below average, and Hanifin could be a very good, top-four blueliner — who is solid at both ends of the ice — for one year, at least. While the Capitals could lose him after the season, they have Sandin, Martin Fehervary, and Alexander Alexeyev to man that side moving forward. Hanifin’s contract fits with the team’s timetable to win one last time, and they’d have the inside track to re-sign him long-term.
Florida Panthers
After an incredible run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers are in line for some good news this offseason. They had very limited cap space this season, but they have a good deal opened up this summer. This will allow them to upgrade at positions where they were forced to have league-minimum players. The left side of their defence is one of those positions.
The team has an underrated Gustav Forsling playing top-four minutes, but Marc Staal also logged top-four minutes at 36 years old and on a contract worth $750,000. That wasn’t ideal, but there weren’t many other options. The free-agent market is very limited, and the Panthers will be looking for someone who can thrive in that role, so they should be all over Hanifin, even if it is for just one year.
There isn’t much ready talent available in the Panthers’ system, so keeping Hanifin long-term would be a good option, especially with former teammates and friends Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett on the team. They might also be without Aaron Ekblad to start next season, so adding a top-four defenceman who can eat up minutes is key.
The Flames will be expecting a pretty big return for Hanifin, especially given what’s available on the market this summer. With his age, potential, and contract, they will have no shortages of suitors. It will be unfortunate if this is the end for him in Calgary, but he gave them five strong seasons.