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Noah Hanifin’s Under the Radar Steady Season with Flames

By Greg Amundsen

Feb 10, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (55) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2022; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (55) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Noah Hanifin has quietly put together a solid season for the Calgary Flames.  While others have taken the spotlight, Hanifin’s steady presence on the blueline has been an important part of the Flames success this year.

Let’s take a deeper look at Noah Hanifin’s season by delving into his numbers.  All stats are from Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise noted.

Even Strength Defense

Hanifin had significantly improved defensive impact last season, posting the lowest 5v5 on-ice xGA/60 of his career in 2020-2021.  It has carried over to this season, with his 5v5 on-ice xGA/60 of 2.24 sitting in the top quartile among NHL defensemen with at least 200 minutes played at 5v5.

There are indications that his strong defensive impact isn’t a fleeting fad.  Puck Luck‘s model has Hanifin projected with the lowest 5v5 xGA/60 among defensemen for the 22/23 season in the latest update from Mar 6.

Even Strength Offence

Hanifin has provided offence from the blueline this season, with an overall impact at 5v5 near the projections from the Puck Luck model. His 5v5 G/60 sits at 0.27, which is in the top quartile among NHL defensemen.

His shooting percentage is 4.3%, which is right around average for defensemen at even strength, and his on-ice shooting percentage is 8.58%, the highest of his career but not drastically, so there aren’t any red flags for regression there.

The one concern with Hanifin’s offensive output is the ratio of first to second assists.  His total assist rate is near the Puck Luck projection but it’s skewed heavily to secondary assists.

With partner Rasmus Andersson sitting in the top quartile for 5v5 A1/60, one explanation is their respective roles on the defence pair, with Andersson taking on more of the puck moving responsibility.  If that’s the case, it’s working well with the pair putting up 58.2% expected goals for at 5v5, which is ranked 9th in the league among pairs with at least 200 minutes together (MoneyPuck).

Special Teams Impact

Hanifin has been a regular on the Flames’ penalty kill, which is in the top quartile league wide based on 5v4 GA/60.  His 4v5 xGA/60 of 4.24 is tops among the Flames regular PK defensemen.  The Flames have also been dangerous shorthanded while Hanifin is on the PK, as he has an xGF% of 33% at 4v5.

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Hanifin has also seen regular time on the second powerplay unit, where he has picked up 9 points (0G, 4A1, 5A2).  With an xGF% of 87% at 5v4, the Flames haven’t given up much the other way while Hanifin has been on the PP.  All-in, he’s been a solid contributor the Flames’ powerplay, which sits in the top half of the league based on 5v4 GF/60.

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