The Vegas Golden Knights made headlines this week making multiple splashes on the trade market. First, they acquired Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals for draft picks. Second, they went out and acquired Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames. Both moves set up the Golden Knights to be one of the strongest teams heading into the postseason. While Hanifin is a pending unrestricted free agent, it seems like a long-term extension is coming down the pipe sooner rather than later.
Noah Hanifin is 27 years old, a left-shot defender, and is from Boston, Massachusetts. He adds stability to an already star-studded blue line with the Golden Knights. This season with the Flames, he has scored 11 goals and added 24 assists for 35 points through 61 games. His two-way game is strong, and there is no surprise a contending team like the Golden Knights traded for him.
Noah Hanifin A Huge Addition to Golden Knights
Through 659 games split between the Flames and Carolina Hurricanes, Hanifin has scored 60 goals and added 214 assists for 274 points. This comes out to a 0.42 points-per-game average over his nine-year career so far. He is a former first-round pick of the Hurricanes at fifth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In his draft year, Hanifin played in the NCAA with Boston College. He scored five goals and added 18 assists for 23 points through 37 games in his first and only NCAA season.
If Kevin Weekes’ report is true, then Hanifin would become the third-highest-paid player on the team and second-highest-paid defender. He is a solid defender and is someone worth the price they paid. However, locking him up long-term could be risky as he ages into his mid-30s. For the Golden Knights’ sake, hopefully, he doesn’t decline at a rapid pace.
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