Flames' Hanifin may be the best defenceman available with Karlsson off the market
If the Calgary Flames were waiting for the right time to deal Noah Hanifin, this might be it.
Barring a recent change of heart, the 26-year-old has expressed to management that he isn’t interested in signing an extension, as he would reportedly like to play south of the border. Given that he has just one year remaining on his contract, it feels like a trade is only a matter of time away.
For the last month or so, all the talk regarding defencemen throughout the NHL circled Erik Karlsson, who the San Jose Sharks were looking to move and finally did so in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the reigning Norris Trophy winner now off the market, Hanifin may very well be the best defenceman up for grabs at this moment.
While Hanifin is not as good as Karlsson, he is a competent top-four defenceman who can contribute on both ends of the ice. This past season, he racked up seven goals and 38 points while averaging 22:39 minutes in ice time through 81 games. That ice time was second amongst the Flames, trailing only Rasmus Andersson.
On top of his skill, Hanifin is also an intriguing option for several teams, given his current cap situation. Though he is set to become a UFA after the 2023-24 campaign, he will carry a cap hit of just $4.95 million. For a team looking to bolster their blue line in hopes of a Stanley Cup this upcoming season, they may be able to make a move for him thanks to his very fair salary.
In late June, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Flames were disappointed with offers they had received on Hanifin, believing they were well below market value. With Karlsson no longer available, it will be interesting to see if some of those teams circle back and are willing to re-negotiate. If so, pulling off a deal would be much easier for the Flames, as they now have a lot more leverage.