Flames Rumors: New Team Linked to Noah Hanifin

The Calgary Flames have some big decisions to make at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. While their playoff hopes are not completely gone, they currently are outside a playoff spot and have several notable pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) who are expected to be moved. One of them is Noah Hanifin, and he has been garnering plenty of interest around the league. 

Hanifin is a top-pairing defenseman with a reasonable cap hit, so it makes sense that he has been getting attention on the trade market. The Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils are three teams who have been linked to him, but now there is another club who fans should be paying attention to in the sweepstakes - the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins are fighting in the Eastern Conference playoff race. While they still have some teams to catch, they are expected to make additions to their group, as they still want to win with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on their roster. Along with this, they desperately need to improve the left side of their defensive group. Hanifin, of course, would give them a new option for their top pairing. 

The Penguins absolutely could use a player like Hanifin on their roster, as their defense has been unreliable, especially on the left side, for much of this season. Bringing in a steady defenseman like Hanifin could be exactly what they need to fix that.

We will need to wait and see if the Pens end up landing Hanifin from here, but on paper, it looks like a strong potential match.

photo credit: Brett Holmes-USA TODAY Sports