Lightning emerging as a realistic trade partner with Flames for Hanifin
The clock is ticking for the Calgary Flames to make a decision on pending UFA defenceman Noah Hanifin.
While it feels like a foregone conclusion that the Flames will move Chris Tanev ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, the future remains slightly more uncertain for Hanifin. Management continues to wait for an answer from the 27-year-old on whether or not he is willing to sign an extension before the March 8 trade deadline. As each day passes, it is becoming more and more likely that he gets dealt.
One team that is emerging as a favourite to land Hanifin is the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have been much better as of late after a slow start to the season and currently sit third in the Atlantic Division. Their need for a left-shot defenceman is as high as any playoff contender, as they lost Mikhail Sergachev for the season after he suffered a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg last week.
By placing Sergachev on long-term injured reserve, the Lightning now have $7.5 million in cap space, which gives them more than enough room to go out and grab a player like Hanifin. The issue becomes what they would give the Flames in return.
Given how competitive they have been in recent years, the Lightning have given up plenty of draft capital to allow them to be in a win-now mode. As a result, they don’t have a first-round pick until 2026. General manager Craig Conroy may very well still have interest in acquiring that selection, but he would need more on top.
Isaac Howard, who was selected 31st overall in the 2022 draft, is a player who would certainly be of interest to the Flames. The 19-year-old winger has seven goals and 26 points in 28 games with Michigan State University this season.
Where the Flames could really use some help in the coming years is down the middle of the ice, which may make Jack Finley of interest. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound centreman was selected 57th overall in 2020 and is currently in the midst of his second AHL season. Through 28 games with the Syracuse Crunch, he has six goals and 17 points. He is far from a finished product, but his size and position would be hard for the Flames to pass up.
While the Lightning make for an obvious fit, given the loss of Sergachev, the Flames will receive plenty of interest if they do choose to make Hanifin available. He would be the biggest defenceman up for grabs on the market, meaning Conroy should have plenty of packages to pick from if that is the route the Flames go.