The Calgary Flames have officially begun selling off assets, as they shipped defenceman Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday in exchange for two draft picks. The Flames now have three highly sought-after pending unrestricted free agents remaining: Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin.
Related: Flames Get Embarrassingly Low Return in Zadorov Deal
All three are talented players. Moving Tanev makes sense, as he is 33 years old and always seems to be battling injury. He remains an elite shutdown defender, but we have to wonder if his game will start to decline in the not-so-distant future because of his injury history.
Moving Lindholm is also understandable, as the recently turned 29-year-old was unable to agree upon an extension with the Flames a few short months ago. He seems hesitant to sign a long-term with Calgary and doesn’t seem to be the same calibre of player that he was a few seasons ago. That said, he is still valuable and should net a good return for the Flames if he does get traded.
Related: Flames Focused on Playoff Spot Rather Than Selling UFAs
While trading both Tanev and Lindholm may very well be the best plan for the Flames, the jury is still out on Hanifin. There were talks about him signing an extension, though the two sides haven’t been able to work out a deal. That said, it may be in general manager Craig Conroy’s best interest to see if there is still interest from Hanifin’s party to get something done.
Hanifin Continues to Improve
It is hard to believe, given how long he has been in the NHL, but Hanifin is only 26 years old. The fifth-overall pick from the 2015 Draft has grown into a terrific top-four defenceman for the Flames and continues to get better. Through 24 games this season, he already has five goals, giving himself a great chance to surpass his career high of 10, which he managed in both 2017-18 and 2021-22.
Hanifin has everything you could ask for in a defenseman in today’s NHL. He is a reliable presence in his own end and has plenty of offensive skills, especially manning the Flames’ top power-play unit. Hanifin’s best asset, however, and arguably the most important for a defenceman, is his skating ability.
He is as elite of a skater as they come on the back end. He can fly up the ice to help create offensive opportunities and is rarely if ever, beaten wide by opposing forwards. While he isn’t overly physical, he doesn’t need to be, given that he is always in position, thanks to his skating ability.
If the Flames were to move Hanifin, they would be forced to try and find a player who provides what he does. Great skating, top-four defenceman don’t grow on trees, and are often tough to find. Moving him for future assets could become a major regret for the Flames down the road.
Hanifin Lined Up for a Major Raise
Now, of course, while keeping Hanifin around has its benefits, he won’t come cheap. It was recently reported that when he and the Flames discussed his extension, it was an eight-year deal, which would have carried a cap hit close to $7.5 million. That is a significant raise from the $4.95 million he has commanded over the past six seasons.
While it is a big raise, $7.5 million seems reasonable given the minutes that Hanifin plays on a nightly basis. This season alone, his 22:53 minutes per game are good enough for second among all Flames, with only Rasmus Andersson averaging more. On top of that, the salary cap is expected to rise significantly ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, which should make his new contract affordable. If Hanifin is interested in sticking around in Calgary, Conroy should make it a priority to re-sign him.