While the Calgary Flames are just a few points outside of a wild card, they have been a team stuck in a perpetual state of mediocrity for a while, so they will likely sell at the trade deadline. There are several players in the Flames lineup who could be wearing a different uniform next season, and one of those players is Noah Hanifin, who has spent a lot of time in the rumor mill.
The Boston Bruins make for a realistic landing spot since they showed us last year that dominating in the regular season doesn’t always translate to success in the playoffs. One reason for their sudden decline came courtesy of inconsistent defense when they allowed a staggering 19 goals across their four losses in the First Round against the Florida Panthers.
Someone like Hanifin will prevent that from happening, and it's one of a few reasons the Bruins should consider making a serious push for him.
Noah Hanifin is a younger player with a sound, two-way game
Half of the primary skaters on the Bruins blue line are 30 and older, so bringing in someone like Hanifin would be a step in getting younger and perhaps not only for this season. Hanifin’s relatively young age alone should entice the Bruins since it means he’s in his prime and perhaps hasn’t even reached his highest level just yet.
But the two-way game Hanifin brings would be a huge help for Boston as the playoff race gets hot following the trade deadline. The 27-year-old has been invading scoring lanes much more in the past two seasons (208 blocks), and he’s also poking the puck from opponents more now than he has at any other time in his career (91 takeaways).
If the Bruins need some supplementary scoring near the blue line, Hanifin also offers it. With nine goals as of February 13th, he is just one away from tying his career-high of 10, and his 29 points should put him close to a career-high if he remains on the same pace. Therefore, should the Bruins trade for Hanifin, they would get a defenseman who would help them out on both ends of the ice.