Five Teams To Watch In Noah Hanifin Trade Talks
After weeks of speculation and rumours, it appears now that the first Calgary Flames domino to fall this off-season will be Noah Hanifin, who is reportedly not willing to sign an extension in Calgary, meaning that out of all their 2024 Unrestricted Free Agents, at least one will be on the move in the coming weeks. With Calgary having several needs and many different directions they can go, there should be 31 teams in the league lined up to land a 26-year old with almost 600 games of NHL experience, but who specifically could target No. 55?
With Calgary looking to land some more draft picks, some high end prospects or potentially pairing Hanifin with their own assets to land a top star, and to fit those needs, we can narrow it down to a few teams, with the following five being ones to keep a close eye on.
5. The Calgary Flames could do business with the Boston Bruins
While circumstances may have changed in recent times, rumours were swirling throughout the 2022-23 season that Noah Hanifin could be headed home to Boston in a trade, and while their cap situation is in dire straits right now, the framework is there for a deal. Thankfully, Boston have a home town Calgary kid of their own in veteran Taylor Hall, and while it would take more than that to get a deal done, sending Noah home would be a great show of faith and a way to land some veteran talent.
Both sides have many moves to make this off-season, and with so many moving parts, they could combine them into one deal that sends Noah back to Boston and Hall back to Calgary, and while they won’t be the hottest on Hanifin’s trail, they’re no doubt a team to keep an eye on as they could make a big push for him.
4. The Seattle Kraken could be open for business with the Calgary Flames
The Seattle Kraken were arguably the story of the 2022-23 NHL playoffs, as they managed to make it past the defending Stanley Cup Champions, before ultimately falling in seven games to the talented Dallas Stars, and now, they could be looking to go a step further next season. With a lack of depth behind Vince Dunn defensively, Hanifin could be the perfect fit in the Pacific North West, and with some solid prospects that could interest Calgary, the Kraken begin to make more and more sense.
While the Flames may not end up with Shane Wright in this deal, engaging with an asset rich Kraken team could give them plenty of leverage around the league, and if Seattle are serious about taking the next step, adding Hanifin would be a great move for both parties, especially if Calgary can land a big time asset or two.
3. The Buffalo Sabres could make a splash with the Calgary Flames
The Buffalo Sabres have been compiling assets for a number of years throughout their latest rebuild, and after a quality start to the 2022-23 campaign, there’s optimism within the organization that they can take the next step and genuinely compete for a playoff spot in 2023-24. With a need in net and on the blue line, the Flames could package together Hanifin with Dan Vladar for a positive return of prospects and draft picks, and with so much to offer, Buffalo may be the most willing trade partners for the Flames.
With the Flames prospect cupboard lacking young talent with elite upside, this may be the best deal for both sides, and with the No. 13 pick in the draft, the Sabres may be the team that Calgary can get the most out of, so keep an eye on the Sabres as they look to snap an NHL record playoff drought.
2. The New York Rangers could land another star from the Calgary Flames
On paper, the New York Rangers may not look like a team that’s stacking up on defence, as they’ve already got the likes of Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller, but with Hanifin, they could have another elite pairing that would take them to the next level. As for a return, the Flames could have their eye on a talented young name in Alexis Lafreniere, who has failed to live up to the hype of being a No. 1 pick in the biggest city in North America, so perhaps a change of scenery may help.
Ultimately, there are many deals these two teams could make, and most of them would improve both sides, so after the Rangers landed Adam Fox from Calgary (not directly, but still got him), this is their chance to land another talented defenceman, but this time, they’ll have to pay up to get him.
1. The Calgary Flames could look to work with another Canadian squad
For a number of years now, the Calgary Flames have been linked to home town kid William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and after yet another playoff failure, there’s been plenty of speculation that they could be looking to move one member of their ‘Core 4’. It appears that could be Nylander, and with Tyler Toffoli potentially on the move as well, with Calgary’s obvious links to Brad Treliving, everything begins to make sense for a move here.
Like Matthew Tkachuk a year ago, the deal here may depend heavily on Hanifin’s desire to sign a long-term extension, and whether or not Canada is one of the reasons he wants to leave the Flames is currently uncertain, a deal here would make sense for both teams, as it gives the Leafs a talented playoff performer, potentially another top scoring winger while Calgary would land it’s own long-term star. Whether or not this is a realistic option for either team is yet to be proven, but where there’s smoke, there is fire, and over recent weeks, there’s been plenty of smoke, so keep an eye on the Leafs and former Flames GM Brad Treliving.