Jury still out on what the Flames should do with Hanifin

The Calgary Flames may already know what they plan to do with pending UFA Noah Hanifin, but fans and media continue to debate what is best.

Entering the 2023-24 season, a large majority of the Flames fanbase was pushing for management to sell in hopes of future success. Fast forward to nearly the halfway point of the season, and many fans feel the same way. Aside from trading Nikita Zadorov, however, general manager Craig Conroy has stood pat. With the deadline just over two months away, he will quickly need to decide whether to sign Hanifin to an extension or deal him to a playoff contender.

It is believed that the Flames are exploring the trade market for the 26-year-old defenceman, as a report came out earlier in the week that the New Jersey Devils have plenty of interest in him. That said, some, including Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, believe re-signing Hanifin is the best option for the Flames.

“Trading him for a draft pick and other futures would all be done with an eye on hoping that after five or six years of developing newbies the Flames would land … another dependable Hanifin-type player,” Francis wrote in his latest column, one in which he suggests the Flames should be looking to extend the American-born defenceman.

There is certainly an argument to be made in Francis’ favour, as Hanifin is just beginning to enter the prime of his career and has already been a dependable top-four option for several seasons with the Flames. He’s been good again in 2023-24, scoring six goals and 18 points through 38 games.

Because of his rock-solid play over the years, an extension for Hanifin won’t come cheap. While his current deal has a team-friendly $4.95 million cap hit, he is likely to earn north of $7 million on a new deal and will be expecting plenty of terms. The price of an extension may lead to him getting dealt, but until that happens, fans and media will continue to discuss the best course of action.

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