Three Teams Eyeing Noah Hanafin After Erik Karlsson Exits The Trade Market
Erik Karlsson was the premier defenseman on the trade market during the 2023 off-season. Now that he has been moved along to Pittsburgh several teams have potentially moved their focus to another top defenseman.
Hanifin On The Market
Noah Hanifin informed the Calgary Flames earlier this offseason that he would not extend his contract with the team. This has naturally led to trade rumors surrounding the 26-year-old defenseman.
On July 9th, TSN reporter Salim Valji reported that Hanfin is still highly regarded as a top-four defenseman in the NHL. While this is the case there are not many teams that have the cap space to take on his 4.95 million dollar cap hit.
Potential Landing Spots For Hanifin
All three of these teams have the cap space and the prospects to pull off a trade. Both Detroit and Buffalo are looking for a defenseman to round out their top four as they make a playoff push. In Nashville's case, Hanifin would be a good veteran leader for the new core they are building.
In each scenario, Hanifin would likely need to sign an extension with whatever team acquires him to make the trade worth it.
| POLL | ||
Which team will acquire Noah Hanifin? | ||
| Buffalo Sabres | 177 | 20.9 % |
| Detroit Red Wings | 185 | 21.8 % |
| Nashville Predators | 133 | 15.7 % |
| Other | 353 | 41.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
