It appears that the Vegas Golden Knights are serious about defending their Stanley Cup title.
A day after acquiring forward Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals, Vegas reportedly agreed to trade for Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin on Wednesday.
Hanifin is one of the most respected blueliners in the NHL. The left-side defender is averaging 23:46 minutes per game and has featured on Calgary’s top penalty-killing unit. He is often matched up with the opponent’s top offensive playmaker. Noted to play well in transition, he is also an offensive force. The 27-year-old has 35 points this season on 11 goals and 24 assists.
Encouraging the Flames to make the deal is the fact that Hanifin is an impending free agent this offseason. He had reportedly told Calgary of his intention to test the free agent market. However, The Hockey News reported that Vegas intends to sign Hanifin, who is making $4.95 million this season, to a contract extension.
Hanifin joins the already stout Golden Knights’ defense
Hanifin, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, has 60 goals and 214 assists in a nine-year NHL career.
He was selected fifth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. However, after three seasons in Carolina, he was dealt to Calgary in a six-player trade on June 23, 2018. The Flames then signed him to his current six-year, $29.7 million contract.
Hanifin now joins a deep Vegas defensive unit that includes Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and Alec Martinez. All three were key members of the Golden Knights’ inaugural NHL title last summer.
Golden Knights, Flames on different trajectories
While separated by eight points in the Pacific Division, Vegas and Calgary are on different trajectories.
The Golden Knights are currently tied with the Nashville Predators for the top Wild Card position in the Western Conference with 73 points. However, Vegas is also mere percentage points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the third playoff slot reserved for the Pacific. The Kings also have 73 points but have played one less game as of Wednesday.
The Flames are still over .500 with 65 points, but clearly see the eight-point gulf between them and qualifying for the postseason as too great a gap and are prepping for a possible rebuild.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur. You can follow him on X at @tomcarothers.