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Noah Hanifin

Noah Hanifin May Be Signed And Traded

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TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that sources have told him that Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin could be dealt this season with an extension in place beyond this year. If a situation like that were to happen, it would effectively be a sign-and-trade agreement between the Flames and an acquiring team, as the team trading for Hanifin would be able to acquire the 26-year-old as a player under contract beyond this season.

LeBrun previously reported a few weeks ago that Hanifin and the Flames were close to agreeing to an extension back in October that would have been valued at roughly $60MM over an eight-year term. However, the Flames pulled the deal after Hanifin opted to wait and see how the season developed.

The Flames have turned things around this season after stumbling early in the year and might be feeling less pressure to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents as they are back in the thick of things. However, LeBrun points out that the Flames are unlikely to make a deep run in the playoffs should they get there and may opt to recoup some assets for a few of their upcoming free agents.

Hanifin is in his sixth year with Calgary after coming over in a trade from the Carolina Hurricanes and has four goals and six assists in 22 games thus far. If he is to hit the open market, there will be no shortage of teams looking to acquire the native of Boston, Massachusetts.

The Flames are one game into a six-game homestand that could dictate how they approach the rest of the season. If they struggle on home ice, it may incentivize them to move some of their other pending free agents, such as Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov, who requested a trade just a few weeks ago.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Calgary Flames

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Calgary Flames.

Who are the Flames Thankful For?

Mikael Backlund

After being the de facto captain for the last few years, Backlund was officially awarded the letter prior to this season, and he’s taken it on in stride. Calgary is by no means off to the start that they would have hoped for but Backlund has remained poised and in control of his team. That includes when he had to handle the curt trade request that Nikita Zadorov issued following the conclusion of an 0-1 shootout loss. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis spoke to the captain about that incident, sharing that Backlund spoke one-on-one with Zadorov before the defenseman spoke to the whole team, in an effort to make sure that no unnecessary tensions were created. New general manager Craig Conroy was impressed by the situation, telling Francis, “He’s taking charge and that’s what the captain has to do. You’d like to not have to do that, but there are things that come up that need to be addressed, and he hasn’t been shy to do that.” That kind of leadership is exactly what a struggling contender like the Flames needs – and it’s a pleasant boost after the team went two seasons without a captain.

What are the Flames Thankful For?

Their youngsters

In a year of challenges, the Flames can at least be impressed with the performances their prospects have brought to the top stage. Connor Zary looks tremendous in his first NHL season, currently carrying eight points through his first nine NHL games. He’s managed this performance after starting the year with 10 points in six AHL games, clearly proving that he deserved a spot with the top club. Zary is averaging the fourth-most minutes of any Flames forward and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Much of the same can be said about Martin Pospisil, who scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game and has since gone on to net six points in nine games on the year. Pospisil is the second-youngest player on the starting lineup, at 24, and earned an NHL recall after scoring six points in six AHL games.

Former first-round pick Matthew Coronato has also held onto a strong season, despite losing his NHL role after 10 games. He’s managed 11 points in 10 AHL games, good for third in scoring on the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

What Would the Flames be Even More Thankful For?

Top-End Scoring

There are a lot of little things that could improve the Flames early season. But with Jacob Markstrom taking a serviceable step forward – albeit an improvement from a .892 save percentage to a .904 – it seems only right to say the Flames are more in need of an X-factor skater than anything. Jonathan Huberdeau has continued to struggle with Calgary, after scoring 115 points in his last year with the Florida Panthers, and with no Matthew Tkachuk or Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames are left wondering who their big difference-maker can be. The team is currently led in scoring by Elias Lindholm, who has 13 points in 19 games. He’s paced by Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, who both have 12 points in as many outings. That’s certainly serviceable scoring but it’s not enough to takeover games, and has the Flames sat with the sixth-fewest goals in the league.

But it’s not all bad. Despite the low scoring, the Flames still roster three players that have scored 80-or-more points in a season before, and they have averaged 3.4 goals-per-game over their last five games, after averaging 2.6 through their first 14 games. That’s a healthy boost and has earned the Flames three wins, one loss, and one shootout loss in the five game stretch. Noah Hanifin has spearheaded the effort, scoring four points in his last five games. If they can maintain this offense, Calgary could find a way to make up for their lack of a true top-end scorer.

What Should Be On the Flames Holiday List?

A Lavish Trade Partner

The Flames are reportedly shopping around a slew of players, including top defender Hanifin, shutdown defenseman Chris Tanev, and even top-scorer Lindholm at points. They’ve also received a trade request from Zadorov. Each of these players could warrant a hefty trade return, in a vaccuum. But the cheapest cap hit of the trio is Zadorov’s $3.75MM and Tanev’s $4.5MM, which is still a hefty amount for many teams to take on.

Still, there is no shortage of teams that could benefit from a deal with Calgary. Vancouver’s right-defense is still a weakness, and upgrading it could be a big boost to their thriving offense. The Toronto Maple Leafs recently placed John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve and are reportedly interested in Zadorov. And with Calgary boasting Dustin Wolf as their third-string goalie, making backup Daniel Vladar theoretically expendable, they may even garner trade interest from a team like the Edmonton Oilers, who are in need of any kind of help after their 6-12-1 start to the year.

It seems to be a buyer’s market and the Flames have no shortage of pieces that they could move. If they can’t get a spark on the ice, a flashy trade return could help a team with thriving stars hedge their future bets.

Calgary Flames Reportedly Shopping Defensemen

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As the Calgary Flames transitioned behind the bench from Darryl Sutter to Ryan Huska over the summer, many of the players scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason wanted to take the ’wait-and-see’ approach in regards to signing a contract extension in Alberta. Needless to say, the Flames have not gotten off to a solid start, starting off 3-7-1, quickly alienating any chances that certain players will want to re-up on a new deal.

Aside from the potential departure of Elias Lindholm, Calgary is also set to lose five defensemen to the open market next July, leading the team to some difficult choices moving forward. This past summer, many reports indicated that defenseman Noah Hanifin was unwilling to sign an extension with the Flames, leading to plenty of trade rumors surrounding him and the organization.

In an earlier report today, Rick Dhaliwal relayed a note from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, saying that the Flames are actively engaging the market on Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. Furthermore, it was reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers are showing the most interest in these defensemen.

It is reasonable to assume, especially if Calgary continues its current trajectory on the season, that more and more teams will come calling as the season nears the trade deadline. Of the three teams listed as having interest, the Oilers seem the least plausible, given that the Flames and Oilers have only made three trades with each other, the last one being the James Neal – Milan Lucic swap in 2019.

Especially if all three players are seen as rentals, the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers could all come calling at this year’s trade deadline. If any or all three are open to signing extensions with the respective acquiring clubs, teams such as the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes could certainly become interested, as well.

Given his ability to play a high amount of minutes each night, Hanifin will likely net Calgary the biggest return, although Tanev and Zadorov will also bring significant interest given their skill sets. If they are open to retooling or even a short-term rebuild, trading these three would be a logical way to start that process.

Nevertheless, there is a chance the Flames could turn their season around, leading them to hang onto their pending unrestricted free agents for a playoff run. However, if they are unable to straighten the ship, aside from a few trades over the years, there isn’t a precedent set for a trade of this magnitude being made so early in the season. If Calgary hangs on to all three as we get closer to the deadline, other playoff-bound teams’ desperation will increase their return overall.

Flames Have Paused Contract Talks With Pending UFAs

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The vibes were good in Calgary. A tumultuous 2022-23 season had seemingly been cleansed from the organization with the appointments of Craig Conroy in the GM’s chair and Ryan Huska behind the bench. Players were buying in, too – with Mikael Backlund signing a three-year extension in accordance with the captaincy and extension talks kicking off with top-pairing defenseman Noah Hanifin, who said last summer he wasn’t willing to consider remaining with the Flames.

Then the season started, and Sportnet’s Eric Francis is now reporting the Flames have paused all extension talks with their 2024 class of UFAs, which includes Hanifin and first-line center Elias Lindholm. A 2-6-1 start has the Flames seventh in the Pacific Division and 15th in the Western Conference, only ahead of the lowly San Jose Sharks. They’ve allowed more goals in the same amount of games than the defensively-challenged Blackhawks – and even that’s with netminder Jacob Markström rebounding, albeit slightly, from last season’s poor form. Daniel Vladar has been limited to just two starts thanks to a sieve-like .842 SV% and 4.51 GAA, however.

What’s worse is that two familiar refrains from last season have come back to haunt them. The team is controlling possession well, holding 53.9% of Corsi events at five-on-five and over half of all scoring and high-danger chances, but it hasn’t mattered. Star players are again underperforming, with many downright snakebitten.

In the second season of a seven-year, $49MM deal, Nazem Kadri has just two points through nine games and a -11 rating. 2021-22 NHL assists leader Jonathan Huberdeau, in the second season of an eight-year, $84MM deal, is barely averaging over 17 minutes per game and has two goals and three assists through nine games. Perhaps the only one of their recent big-time acquisitions is performing up to par – defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who may have just three points but is controlling possession better than almost anyone on the team with a 57.5% Corsi share at even strength.

Lindholm is also one of the few doing his part, tying for the team lead in scoring with six points and averaging over 21 minutes a game, although he hasn’t been worth the rumored $9MM AAV price tag that’s been bandied about in the past few weeks. Things aren’t going well for the Flames’ other notable pending UFAs, both defensemen – Chris Tanev has been held off the scoresheet through nine contests and has a -6 rating, while Nikita Zadorov is projected to sit as a healthy scratch for Wednesday’s game against the Stars.

If the Flames don’t find themselves close to the playoff picture by the March 8, 2024, trade deadline, they could become one of the biggest players near deadline day in recent memory. All four of Lindholm, Hanifin, Tanev, and Zadorov have the pedigree to fetch anywhere between decent and extravagant returns, even if one or all is still having a down season by the time February rolls around and trade discussions begin in earnest. With another strong slate of prospects expected to be available in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Flames would do well to help retool their franchise on the fly with a few high-end prospects injected into their system.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Flames, Noah Hanifin Making Progress On Extension

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Speaking during the Saturday Headlines segment during Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada coverage, Elliotte Friedman reports things are trending in a positive direction between the Flames and defenseman Noah Hanifin, and an extension for the pending UFA defenseman is a realistic outcome.

This is a continuation of a lengthy positive swing in relations between the Flames’ front office and their slate of pending UFAs. It began with captain Mikael Backlund, who inked a pre-season extension (and was awarded the captaincy) despite previously stating he’d wait out to see how the team began their season before deciding whether or not to extend. The fact these talks are even occurring is another significant sign for the better. Hanifin reportedly made it known to GM Craig Conroy this summer that he wasn’t open to signing an extension with the team, but he reversed course once players reported to training camps in September.

Hanifin has gotten off to a strong start on the scoresheet, leading all Flames defenders in assists (and points) with four. He’s logged 22:49 per game, a touch higher than last season’s 22:39, which was already a career-high. His pairing with the now-suspended Rasmus Andersson has had the most defensive struggles out of all the Flames’ main units, however, controlling just 40% of expected goals at even strength, per MoneyPuck.

That being said, five games is an awfully small sample size, and Hanifin has a recent history of very strong possession play. He’s become a core piece of both the Flames’ power play and penalty kill units over the past three seasons as well, logging over 30 points in three of his five full seasons as a Flame.

It could be a rather rich proposition to keep Hanifin in Alberta, however. Evolving Hockey projects an extension for the 26-year-old to boast an eight-year term with a $7.5MM cap hit, certainly expected value for a pending UFA top-pairing blueliner given the recent market. But whether or not the Flames can afford that plus a hypothetical extension for Elias Lindholm in the $8MM-$9MM range remains to be seen. Both player’s current cap hits are a fraction of their projected extension costs – Lindholm at $4.85MM and Hanifin at $4.95MM. It will be difficult to shoulder such a significant increase for a team already dealing with a significant cap crunch early into the 2023-24 season.

Without Andersson in the lineup, five of the Flames’ six defenders, including Hanifin are destined for free agency next summer. MacKenzie Weegar, locked up through 2031, is the only exception.

Latest On Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin

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Eric Francis joined Sportsnet’s Big Show with Rusic and Rose podcast and provided updates on some of the Calgary Flames’ biggest extension rumors. Francis shared, most notably, that the return to training camp has provided top center Elias Lindholm with a newfound energy to get a deal done. This increased motivation was also seen in negotiations with Mikael Backlund, who recently signed a contract extension and received the team’s captaincy. Francis shared that the new excitement could see Lindholm signing an extension as soon as the start of the regular season.

However, Francis didn’t share that optimism on Noah Hanifin’s looming contract extension. He shared with the Sportsnet crew that Hanifin is close friends with Matthew Tkachuk – his former teammate with the USNTDP and the Flames – who left Calgary for an exciting life in Florida. Francis said that Hanifin is drawn by the idea of moving to America as a result, drawing a line in the sand for talks of a new deal in Calgary.

These updates could leave Calgary with a locked-in top-line center, but without their top defender, entering the 2024-25 campaign. Their ability to replace Hanifin will likely depend on how much Lindholm demands on a new deal, with Francis sharing that he may be able to receive a salary around, or above, $9MM on the open market. A discount may be needed to keep him with a Flames lineup that currently has 11 players set to become free agents next summer, although Lindholm is still sure to get a significant raise from his current $4.85MM cap hit. The Flames are currently projected to have $30.95MM in cap space next summer, with notable players like Lindholm, Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov all needing new deals. What space they can find in that budget to add new talents to the roster will be worth monitoring.

Noah Hanifin Reverses Course, Open To Extension In Calgary

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Speaking with reporters, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg at the NHL’s media tour in Las Vegas, Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin said he’s “absolutely” willing to consider an extension with the team.

Hanifin, 26, was unwilling to sign an extension in Calgary at the beginning of the offseason, according to reporting from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. Along with Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm, who have expressed a conditional willingness to extend depending on the team’s performance this season, Hanifin is slated for unrestricted free agency next summer. He’s coming off a 2022-23 season in which he played 81 of 82 games, registered seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points, recorded a 53.0% Corsi for at even strength, and averaged a career-high 22:39 per game. LeBrun said earlier this summer Calgary was likely to trade Hanifin – something that didn’t come to fruition, and he’s now projected to start 2023-24 alongside potential captaincy candidate Rasmus Andersson on the team’s top pairing.

If they do extend him, it certainly won’t be on a discount – as is the likely scenario with Backlund and Lindholm. With extensions unlikely to be reached before the start of the season, Evolving Hockey projects an eight-year, $7.5MM AAV deal for Hanifin to remain in Calgary. Their model also predicts an eight-year extension at $8.4MM per season for Lindholm, but recent reporting from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that figure will be closer to $9MM if Lindholm does extend. For Backlund, they predict a four-year deal at around $5.5MM per season. For a team with little to no salary cap flexibility this summer, is extending all three even financially feasible if the players remain open to it?

The short answer is barely. CapFriendly currently projects the Flames with roughly $35.5MM in cap space for the 2024-25 season with a roster size of just 11 players, assuming the Upper Limit rises from $83.5MM to $87.5MM as projected. Taking the figures above means re-signing all three of Backlund, Hanifin and Lindholm would cost around $22MM, bringing that cap space figure to $13.5MM with a roster size of only 14. That would involve filling out the rest of their roster with contracts averaging less than $1.5MM AAV apiece, and it’ll likely take significantly more than that number to retain other pending UFA defenders like Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov as well as re-signing pending RFA forward Dillon Dubé.

Trade Market Quiet For Noah Hanifin

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It appears that the holdup for a potential Noah Hanifin trade has been due to an underwhelming trade market. This comes from Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg who also reported a few days ago that the trade market had been soft this summer for one of the Calgary Flames’ other trade chips Mikael Backlund.

Both Backlund and Hanifin will be free agents next summer, and while Backlund expressed an interest in seeing the season play out before signing an extension, Hanifin has said he doesn’t plan to sign a deal to extend his stay in Calgary.

Under normal circumstances, a 26-year-old first-pairing defenseman would be highly coveted, but as Steinberg reports, the Flames just haven’t received any strong offers. The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly had interest earlier in the summer, but nothing ever materialized on the trade front, and given their pursuit of Erik Karlsson one must wonder if Penguins general manager used Calgary as leverage to get a better deal for Pittsburgh.

Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News wrote today that when the deal for Karlsson happened there was an expectation that there would be movement on the Hanifin front, but it has yet to materialize. He also speculates that perhaps the Flames will keep the rearguard until the March trade deadline when more teams will have accrued cap space due to injuries.

On the ice, Hanifin has been everything Calgary could have hoped for when they acquired him from the Carolina Hurricanes in a 2018 trade. He has averaged over 21 minutes a night during his time in Calgary and has put up 31 goals and 125 assists in 359 games with the Flames. Any potential team that acquires the Boston native would be getting a player capable of playing first-pairing minutes or being an exceptional second-pairing defenseman. Hanifin is an excellent skater and can generally be counted on for 35-40 points per season. He is in the final year of a contract that carries a $4.95MM cap hit and reportedly has an 8-team modified no-trade clause, meaning that Calgary has quite a few options to facilitate a potential move.

At the beginning of the summer, it looked as though the Flames would be busy in the trade market with several players approaching free agency. But, thus far general manager Craig Conroy has been quiet and may just start the season with several prominent free agents. It will make for interesting theatre as Flames fans don’t have to look back far to remember the exodus of top-end talent in the summer of 2022 that saw Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk take their talents south of the border. Calgary can ill afford to lose more high-end players for nothing and will likely be looking to make a flurry of moves in-season unless something materializes in the upcoming weeks.

Debating Extensions For The Calgary Flames’ Pending UFAs

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The Calgary Flames have been one of the most talked-about teams this offseason, but not necessarily for the moves they’ve made now. Calgary has multiple core players set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, and they’ll be faced with multiple decisions on whether to extend or trade certain players before next season’s trade deadline. New GM Craig Conroy already made one decision, shipping out right winger Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils after he set career highs in goals, assists and points last season. Forwards Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev headline the remainder of Flames players set to hit the open market next summer, with valuable depth defenders Oliver Kylington and Nikita Zadorov also slated for unrestricted free agency.

Conroy has made it clear Calgary won’t lose out on these players for no return after the organization let star left winger Johnny Gaudreau walk in free agency to the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer. If they do end up trading the lion’s share of their pending UFAs, they should be able to reform the roster and stay in playoff contention, as there looks to be a strong pool of other UFAs to choose from next summer. However, many of the players listed above have played quite well for the Flames and are even core pieces of their leadership group, and Conroy will surely attempt to extend most of them.

One of their desired extension candidates is Lindholm and for good reason. He’s developed into a bonafide top-six two-way center during his time in Alberta and is normally a solid bet to churn out nearly a point-per-game pace. Reporting this summer has indicated he’s been back-and-forth on whether he’s willing to extend in Calgary, but the pendulum swung back toward an extension a few days ago with The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reporting Lindholm was “well into discussions” with the Flames on an eight-year extension. Getting him under contract until age 37 likely won’t pan out well for Calgary near the end of the deal, but such is the price of retaining pending UFAs. He’s played 369 games for the Flames since they acquired and extended him on a six-year deal in 2018, scoring 139 goals, 186 assists and 325 points while averaging over 19 minutes per game. He finished second in Selke Trophy voting in 2022 and has accumulated a +99 rating in Calgary, although most of that comes from his standout defensive seasons in 2018-19 and 2021-22. His 56% Corsi For at even strength last season suggests his rather pedestrian +6 rating was tanked by the team’s subpar goaltending.

And that’s where it gets tricky – while there are a lot of solid free-agent pickups available next summer, most of them are on the wing. The only center who could hit the open market conceivably as either an upgrade or lateral move for Lindholm is Winnipeg Jets pivot Mark Scheifele, who could very well be taken off the UFA market via a sign-and-trade deal next season (much like Lindholm if talks fall through with Calgary).

Backlund is also a tough piece to part with. The standout shutdown center has appeared in 15 seasons for Calgary, accumulating 908 games as a Flame. However, he seems an unlikelier bet to sign an extension with Lindholm at this point in time, admitting to Swedish outlet SportExpressen earlier this summer that his willingness to remain in Calgary will depend on the team’s performance in 2023-24. He may not have Lindholm’s offensive upside and minute-munching capabilities, but he is one of the most consistent defensive presences in the league and is showing no signs of slowing down as he enters his mid-30s. Some would argue it’s borderline surprising he hasn’t received the captaincy yet, potentially another reason why he hasn’t committed to extending in Calgary. He’s not likely to command much of an increase on his current AAV of $5.35MM given his age, either, and he should remain a priority for Calgary to keep in the fold for the next few seasons if they truly do intend on remaining competitive.

One player who they’ll likely attempt to shop is Hanifin, who was reportedly unwilling to sign an extension with the team earlier in the summer and has already been mentioned in specific trade rumors with teams such as the Florida Panthers. That was all before free agency opened, however, and a trade still hasn’t happened. It might be Calgary will look to have Hanifin boost his stock with a strong start to the season before moving him, or they’re hoping a reversal in the team’s fortunes would persuade him to stay. He’s certainly the most replaceable of their big-ticket pending UFAs – assuming they pursue extensions hard with Tanev, Zadorov and Kylington, they’d be able to replace Hanifin by committee (along with Rasmus Andersson) if Conroy doesn’t net a direct replacement for him via trade.

Conroy will need to be careful in how he manages the salary cap with the moves he makes, however, especially if he is intent on extending Lindholm. That extension would require a rather substantial raise on his current $4.85MM cap hit, something the team doesn’t have room for right now as it would take nearly all of the cap space afforded to them by 2024’s expected $4MM jump in the Upper Limit from $83.5MM to $87.5MM. If he moves out backup netminder Daniel Vladar and his $2.2MM cap hit to pave the way for top prospect Dustin Wolf to assume an NHL role, that should give him some breathing room. It won’t be much if Wolf has a strong season, though, as he’s a restricted free agent in 2024 and will surely require a new seven-figure deal if he puts up good numbers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Assessing The Defenseman Trade Market Post-Karlsson Trade

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It had been almost a month since a higher-profile player in the NHL had been traded, and most would argue that it was the domino that needed to fall to open up the trade market for defensemen. This summer, we have seen names such as Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex DeBrincat, and Taylor Hall all moved in trades, but a big-name trade had not been made for a defenseman since the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Damon Severson on June 9th.

For the most part, there are two defensemen that may have seen their market open up due to the Erik Karlsson trade, and that would include Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes and Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames. Both players’ trade availability is surrounded by different circumstances, and both of their current teams have much different outlooks for next season.

Starting with Pesce, back in June, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the Hurricanes were intent on moving Pesce this summer if they were unable to come to a contract resolution past this season. About a week later, Cory Lavalette of The Athletic noted that Pesce would likely be seeking a contract in the eight-year, $52MM ($6.5MM AAV) range, something that Carolina could easily afford, but with Teuvo Teravainen, Martin Necas, and Brady Skjei, among others, also needing contracts past the 2023-24 season, may not be in the team’s best interest.

Although it would be a prudent move both financially and for the future success of the club to move on from Pesce, questions should arise as to if it is in the best interest of the current Hurricanes team in accordance with their goals for the 2023-24 season. Carolina is one of the most well-set-up teams to make the Stanley Cup Final next season, and their defensive depth is one of the main reasons for that. For most of the foreseeable contenders in the NHL, teams could do a lot worse than having Anthony DeAngelo as their sixth-best defenseman on the roster.

One of the best comparables to Pesce’s situation might come from a division rival in Severson. Severson had spent a total of nine seasons in New Jersey, and even though he was heading towards unrestricted free agency, the Devils held on to Severson as he gave them a much better chance to win. This summer, the Devils executed a sign-and-trade, inking Severson to an extension and receiving a third-round pick for his services from the Blue Jackets. This may not be the haul that Carolina would be hoping for, but it’s undeniable that Pesce gives them a better chance to win for 2023-24, and may have to seek a sign-and-trade next summer.

Unlike Pesce, Hanifin has already been vocal about his unwillingness to sign an extension in Calgary and would like a change of scenery heading into next year. A solid defenseman on both the powerplay and penalty kill, Hanifin should likely have a decent market as a two-way defenseman. Currently making just a tad under $5MM this season, it’s going to be difficult for a lot of contending teams to absorb that contract even for a short time.

Just to theorize, there is one team that has their eyes on contending next year and could certainly use an upgrade on the left side of their defense. The Buffalo Sabres have already improved their defensive core with the additions of Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson this summer, but an acquisition of Hanifin may put them over the top to get back into the playoffs. The main drawbacks from Buffalo’s perspective in acquiring Hanifin are the current glut of defensemen already on their roster, and the pressing extensions of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

With Calgary already having a murky future on their blue line, the Sabres could certainly move back a defenseman or two with team control, and with it all but known that Hanifin wants out, the price may not be too high for his services. If they are able to acquire Hanifin and extend him, Buffalo could be well served in having Dahlin, Power, Hanifin, and Mattias Samuelsson in their top four for the foreseeable future.

All-in-all, we are getting to the point in the summer where the most likely scenario is both Pesce and Hanifin will start the season with their current clubs, but there are some signs indicating changes will be coming soon. All we know for certain, the trade for Karlsson has helped set the market, as well as open it up for any future moves.

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