Flames making progress on Noah Hanifin contract: report
The Calgary Flames could be getting closer to locking up an important part of their team.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported during his Saturday Headlines segment on HNIC that the two sides are making progress toward a new deal.
“Word is that the Flames and Noah Hanifin have made progress on a contract extension,” reported Friedman. “There is optimism, nothing is done until it’s done… the word is there has been progress and there is optimism that something can get done between Hanifin and the Flames.”
Saturday Headlines with @FriedgeHNIC:
Noah Hanifin contract talk, trade watch, and a NHL Draft decentralization update. 📰 pic.twitter.com/KVAGYJajLS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 22, 2023
This would be a change from the narrative over the summer, which indicated that Hanifin was not willing to sign an extension and that the Flames would look to trade the 26-year-old defenceman.
Hanifin was drafted fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 and was traded to Calgary in 2018 for Dougie Hamilton. Since then, Hanifin has become a top-pairing defenceman for the Flames, scoring seven goals and 38 points for the team last season.
There is no information on whether the extension being discussed will include a long-term commitment.
This should be seen as a massive win for the organization. After a disappointing 2022-23 season, there were worries that much of the team’s core would not be willing to re-sign in Calgary.
The team is coming off massive departures in both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the summer of 2022 and there were reasons to believe a second exodus involving Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin could be on the horizon.
The team moved forward Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils over the summer due to these exact reasons.
Longtime Flames player Mikael Backlund signed a two-year extension and was named the team’s new captain shortly before the season began, showing that there was some positivity to be had around the team’s contract situation.
The Flames haven’t had quite the rebound they wanted to start the season. Through five games the team currently holds a 2-2-1 record and is coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
Despite these early-season struggles, Hanifin has looked great with four assists during that span.
Hanifin and the rest of the Flames will try to get back in the win column in Detroit as they play the Red Wings this afternoon at 3 pm MT on Sportsnet West.
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