Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin is entering a contract year with the team, and he spoke about the upcoming season and whether or not he would like to stay with the team long term.

“I just want to see how this year kind of played out a little bit and take my time a little bit,” Noah Hanifin said, via Eric Francis of Sportsnet.

This is a bit different than what Flames center Elias Lindholm said, making it clear that he would like to stick with the Flames. It appears that Hanifin is taking it by the moment.

The Flames disappointed and missed the playoffs last season, so it could be that Hanifin is waiting to see if the team can bounce back or not this season.

It will be interesting to see if the Flames can bounce back, because if they do not, they could hold a lot of cards at the trade deadline. Hanifin is an obvious name, and he himself is seemingly lukewarm regarding staying for the long haul. Elias Lindholm could be another name that is available at the trade deadline, if he does not extend with the team before then.

It is an interesting dynamic. Both Hanifin and Lindholm came to the Flames in the trade that sent Dougie Hamilton to the Carolina Hurricanes. Both of them have become key players for the Flames since coming over from the Hurricanes.

It will be intriguing to see what happens with the Flames over the next couple of weeks and throughout the upcoming season.