It may have taken a while to come together, but the Vegas Golden Knights completed a trade with the Calgary Flames late last night that sent Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights in exchange for a couple of draft picks and an AHLer. The Flames retained part of Hanifin’s $4.95 million cap hit, while the Philadelphia Flyers acted as a third-party broker. Here are the full details:
As if the Golden Knights weren’t already loaded, they got even more talented by adding Hanifin to their back end. Initial reports indicated that Hanifin could also sign an extension with the Golden Knights, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for now. Even as a rental, the Golden Knights are getting plenty of value by adding Hanifin to their back end. Let’s grade each side.
The Rich Get Richer
Once the Flames moved Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars about a week ago, it seemed pretty clear they would be sellers. Now, with reports that Hanifin wanted to play for an American-based team once his contract expires, it was evident that he would be on the move before Friday’s 3 PM deadline.
Hanifin’s always been a solid defenseman, and it’s been no different this season. He had 11 goals and 35 points in 61 games at the time of the trade, putting him on pace for a career-high 15 goals and 47 points in 82 games, and is underlying numbers have been solid.
Related: 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Hanifin has been one of the more valuable defensemen in the NHL this season, with his play being worth a total goals above replacement of 11.5, ranked 13th league-wide for all blueliners. He’s provided positive value offensively and defensively at even strength, and he should help the Golden Knights on special teams if they choose to give him big minutes there.
Part of why Hanifin is so effective two ways is that he’s an efficient puck-mover. When looking at Corey Sznjader’s tracked data (via JFresh), Hanifin excels in getting the puck out of the defensive zone with possession. He also holds his ground defending the rush, facilitates offense, and does well on puck retrievals.
These types of defensemen are invaluable come the playoffs. Many teams like someone who plays with an edge or hits plenty, but a two-way defender who can move the puck as well as Hanifin goes further than a stay-at-home defender unless it’s someone like Tanev.
The Golden Knights didn’t give up too much in this trade. A first-round pick seemed like a given, considering Hanifin’s value. I’d be lying if I told you I knew who Daniil Miromanov is. He’s spent most of his North American career in the AHL and is listed as a defenseman/right winger on Elite Prospects. They signed him to a two-year extension, so they must think he can play NHL minutes for them.
With double retention, the Golden Knights still have room to add someone else if they’d like, even after acquiring Anthony Mantha and Hanifin. They have an aggressive front office that swings and doesn’t miss often, as was the case in acquiring Hanifin.
Golden Knights Grade: A-
Flames in a Tough Spot With Hanifin
The Flames have had an interesting deadline so far. From the Tanev trade to pulling back on a reported deal with the New Jersey Devils for Jacob Markström, they’ve been active. Now that they’ve moved on from Hanifin, they will have a much different-looking blue line for the rest of the season.
The return for Hanifin might not seem like much, but Frank Seravalli has been hinting on recent episodes of DFO Rundown that this trade might come in looking a bit underwhelming compared to expectations. The key here for the Flames is getting a first. They probably should have gotten one for Tanev, so they had to get one for Hanifin.
The problem is the first-rounder is the only real asset of significance for the Flames. I’m not sure how they view Miromanov, but he is 26. Perhaps he can be a depth player for them, but he is not a prospect. His ceiling is likely what it is at this point. The third-round selection they received could turn into a second if Vegas wins one round in the playoffs this season, which seems more likely than not. If that’s the case, it’s not the worst return in the world.
Even without the pick upgrading, I think the Flames did OK here. From what we know, there were only certain teams Hanifin was willing to go to. Among them were the Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning, to name a couple. The Flames were in a tough spot, so the fact they got a first and a pick that could turn into a second isn’t bad work by general manager Craig Conroy, even if it seems a bit underwhelming.
Flames Grade: B
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Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey, except where noted