The Calgary Flames continued their trade deadline sell-off on Wednesday, sending Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights.
This three-team trade also involved the Philadelphia Flyers for salary retention purposes. In exchange for Hanifin, the Flames received a 2026 first-round pick, a conditional third-round pick in 2024, and defenseman Daniil Miromanov. Vegas also received forward Mikhail Vorobyov from the Flyers, while the Flyers received the Golden Knights' 2024 fifth-round pick.
The deal followed a series of trades for the Flames, which saw them also ship out Elias Lindholm and Chris Tanev. Once it became clear the Flames wouldn't be extending Hanifin, he became one of the team's biggest trade chips.
As one of the larger deadline deals, we'll take a look at how the trade works out for each team. Given the Flyers' minimal involvement, their return won't be analyzed.
Calgary Flames
At a certain point, it became fairly obvious that Noah Hanifin would be dealt. While there was reportedly a contract extension close earlier in the year, by the time the deadline came around, Hanifin's fate seemed fairly certain.
Over parts of six seasons with the Flames, Hanifin was consistently one of the team's top defenders. This season, Hanifin scored 35 points in 61 games with the team and also set his own single-season goal record at 11. The defenseman's nearly 24 minutes per game average also marked the highest usage of his career.
However, the Flames fell victim to not being able to re-sign the majority of their key players. Elias Lindholm departed, while Chris Tanev was dealt as well, and even Jacob Markstrom, who remained in Calgary, seemingly aired his frustration at the nixed New Jersey Devils deal.
So in terms of direction, the Flames are pretty clearly entering a new era. With so many core players leaving, we can expect the organization to take the opportunity for somewhat of a re-tool. But while the Noah Hanifin trade return wasn't overwhelming, it was still respectable.
For starters, the first-round pick being a couple of years down the road could carry a lot of upside. It's a little ways off from actually helping the team build, but a lot can happen in a couple of years. If Vegas were to see a drop-off, Calgary could end up with a pretty good pick. In terms of the conditional third-round pick, all it takes is Vegas winning a single playoff run to upgrade to a 2025 second-round pick. So as an initial starting point, the picks do carry value.
Daniil Miromanov was the only player involved, though, which seems like a miss. Miromanov is turning 27 years old this summer and only played four games with Vegas this season before the trade. As a result, there were no real prospects involved or young talent, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity. More than anything, it highlights the first-rounder as being the only really crucial part of the return.
However, we also don't know how difficult it was for the Flames to complete the trade. If there had been an indication that Hanifin wasn't likely to extend with certain teams, it would undoubtedly reduce what they could kind of return they could get.
Still, losing a top-four defenseman in his prime is always a major blow. The Flames didn't get any sure pieces in return and it's tough to call it a win for Calgary
Grade: C+
Vegas Golden Knights
At the deadline, Vegas made it clear that it is all in on back-to-back Stanley Cups. With the additions of not only Noah Hanifin but also Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha, the Golden Knights may have been the most improved team post-deadline.
With Hanifin, Vegas is adding to an already top-tier defense group, which saw all core members from last year's Cup win return. Especially with Alec Martinez out, Hanifin can easily slot into the team's top-four group. Though his first two games in Vegas, Hanifin already has two points as well.
In terms of what Vegas gave up to get him, there's a good chance it ends up being both a first and a second-round pick dealt. As mentioned above, especially with the first being a little ways out, it does create somewhat of a concerning worst-case scenario.
Again though, all signs point to the Golden Knights remaining competitive for the foreseeable future. Considering there were no key roster players or prospects moved, Vegas may have gotten off a little easy.
Now, of course, there's also the possible contract extension to consider. As of now, Hanifin is simply a rental who can walk away in free agency this summer. However, at just 27 years old, the defenseman has the potential to be a long-term fit with Vegas. He'll be due for a huge extension, but his age means he should be a ways off from a decline.
If the Golden Knights can extend him, it would be a huge win. He's a clear top-four defenseman in the prime of his career. If they let him walk away though, it's not a small amount to give up for only a rental. So while the trade looks good for Vegas now, being able to re-sign the defenseman would be a game-changer.
Grade: B+
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