Flames have several teams continuing to express interest in Hanifin: report
The trade deadline is less than two days away, but the Calgary Flames continue to have numerous teams interested in Noah Hanifin.
Hanifin, who is set to become a UFA this summer, is reported to have an extension agreed upon with the Tampa Bay Lightning should he be dealt there. Whether that happens remains to be seen, as the Bolts will be competing against a number of other teams in the sweepstakes.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings are also expressing interest. All have competitive rosters and appear to be looking at Hanifin in order to strengthen their back end ahead of the playoffs.
The Flames hoped to keep Hanifin around earlier in the season but were unable to agree on an extension. The 27-year-old has been a reliable top-four defenceman for them over the last six seasons and is having his best year to date. He has an impressive 11 goals and 35 points in 61 games while averaging nearly 24 minutes in ice time.
With the Flames off again tonight, it’s fair to wonder if Hanifin has already played his last game with the organization. They do have one more outing before the deadline tomorrow night, but with the way things are heating up, it feels likely that Hanifin will get dealt before that game even begins. Ironically enough, they are set to face off against the Lightning tomorrow.
Trading Hanifin is likely the last course of action for general manager Craig Conroy ahead of the trade deadline. The first-year GM has been very busy all season long, making three trades thus far. There’s still plenty of ways to go, but so far, he has gained a lot of support from fans in Calgary.
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