3 reasons why trading for Noah Hanifin makes a ton of sense for the Bruins
The Bruins once again find themselves atop the overall standings in the Eastern Conference, and they would make a splash by trading for Noah Hanifin.
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.
The Bruins have enough assets to move…barely…
It’s safe to say that Boston is a perennial playoff contender, and for such teams, the number of assets they can move at the deadline will inevitably shrink. Some teams have their backs against the wall regarding the salary cap, while others may have burned through draft picks and prospect pools, which would do little to appease rebuilding organizations or those looking to rebuild.
Fortunately, the Bruins have just enough to make this trade work without the need to move too many players around if the Flames are willing to retain 25 percent of Hanifin’s remaining contract. However, this shouldn’t be an issue since he will be a free agent following the season.
The Bruins can send over their 2026 first-round pick, plus a third-rounder in 2025, while also trading away a more expensive pending unrestricted free agent like Matt Grzelcyk, plus a pair of high-potential prospects. These wouldn’t be ideal assets for Calgary, but they also wouldn’t be a deal-breaker if the Bruins offered assets that could help the Flames sooner than later.
Boston has quite a few blueliners scheduled to be free agents
In the previous section, we listed Matt Grzelcyk as a potential trade asset, and one reason behind it is that he is a pending unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season. Grzelcyk also doesn’t have a no-trade or no-movement clause attached to his name, so he would be easy to move. But Grzelcyk isn’t the only defenseman the Bruins currently have who will hit the free agent market in July.
Derek Forbort and Kevin Shattenkirk are a couple more names scheduled to test the market. Both players are over 30, and they are currently at the end of their respective seven-figure deals. Therefore, the Bruins could trade for Hanifin this year, where he can help them embark on a deeper playoff run, then sign him to an extension following the season.
This goes right back to the first reason why trading for Hanifin is a good idea, assuming the Flames are okay with snagging a first-rounder in 2026 alongside a pair of current prospects: He’s a younger option who can remain in Boston for more than just the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
A player of Hanifin’s caliber would also become part of a talented core that the Bruins possess, even if some roster turnover will continue.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 12th)