Flames' Hanifin says he is "absolutely" willing to sign an extension
Calgary Flames’ defenceman Noah Hanifin may not be going anywhere after all.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Hanifin would be dealt in the summer. According to several reports, the 26-year-old expressed to management that he wasn’t interested in an extension and instead wanted to play in a southern market. While that may have been the case at the time, it doesn’t appear to be any longer.
As first reported by Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, Hanifin said he is “absolutely” willing to sign an extension with the Flames. That said, he, like his teammate Mikael Backlund, wants to see how things go during the season first.
Elias Lindholm says he’s still open to extending in Calgary.
“I’ve been pretty clear I’m willing to stay, that’s about it.” #Flames
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) September 13, 2023
“I just want to see how this year kind of plays out a little bit and take my time a little bit,” Hanifin explained.
Many were concerned throughout the offseason that general manager Craig Conroy was taking a rather reckless approach by not trading some of his players entering the final year of their respective contracts, particularly Hanifin. However, it seems as though he has known exactly what he was doing all along.
“He wants to see how it goes this year,” Conroy said when asked about Hanifin this morning. “He did indicate that he wasn’t going to re-sign in the summer, but that doesn’t mean he won’t ever re-sign.”
After last season had ended, many thought the Flames may be heading towards a rebuild as it seemed several players wanted to get out of Calgary. However, that opinion has seemed to shift, as not only Hanifin but Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund have all suggested they are willing to sign extensions.
Hanifin is preparing to enter the final year of his contract which carries a cap hit of $4.95 million. His 22:39 minutes averaged per game last season were second amongst all Flames skaters, meaning if Conroy hopes to keep him around, he will have to be prepared to give the 6-foot-3 defenceman a significant pay raise.
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