Calgary Flames get a steal with Noah Hanifin’s bargain deal

After acquiring him in a trade on draft day, the Calgary Flames lock up young defenseman Noah Hanifin to an absolute steal of a six-year contract.

The wait is over for Flames fans on the Noah Hanifin contract front, and it was absolutely worth the wait with the value they’re getting him for.

The Calgary Flames and Noah Hanifin have agreed to a six-year contract worth $29,700,000, with a cap hit of $4.95M a year until the end of the 2023-24 season. The contract includes a modified no-trade clause for the final two years. Hanifin was acquired by Calgary in a draft day trade that saw him and teammate Elias Lindholm sent to Calgary from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for Dougie Hamilton, Michael Ferland, and Adam Fox.

With Hanifin locked up, the Flames have their entire roster signed for the 2018-19 season and have no contract disputes heading into training camp.

At the moment that contract might seem like a fair value, but when that contract hits the fourth year, having Hanifin below five million is going to seem like a stroke of genius from Flames management.

Hanifin was the fifth overall pick from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 NHL draft, and at just 21 years old Hanifin is already a legitimate top-four defender. Through three seasons at the NHL level with Carolina, Hanifin has accumulated 18 goals and 83 points, and his defensive numbers continue to get better and better with each passing season. Hanifin had a career year last season as he scored 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points while averaging 19 minutes of ice time per game. He also the sole representative for the Hurricanes at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.

While Carolina still looks to have gotten the better of the trade with Calgary, the Flames are banking on Hanifin to develop into a player like Dougie Hamilton, and now they have locked up to a longer and cheaper deal. Even if he doesn’t become as good as Hamilton, Hanifin will absolutely be worth that contract and then some if he keeps developing at the rate he’s going.

Flames head coach and former Hurricanes coach Doug Peters has said that his plan is to use Hanifin on the second pairing alongside Travis Hamonic. Peters was Hanifin’s head coach in Carolina and knows his play style well, so there should be an adjustment period for Hanifin for his new teams play style.

The Flames have had a busy offseason, and they’re hoping that the additions of head coach Bill Peters, Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm, James Neal, and Derek Ryan will get them back to the postseason in the weak Pacific division.