WA-NHL-PendingUFAsuccess Last season, the Calgary Flames claimed defenseman Joel Hanley off waivers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/latest-news/stars-defenseman-claimed-off-waivers] from the Dallas Stars. Since then, he has been a great addition to the blueline's depth. With the 33-year-old on an expiring contract, Flames GM Craig Conroy may be working on a new deal for the veteran. Hanley has seen 14 games of action this year, playing mostly with MacKenzie Weegar. That pairing has seen positive results while playing together. "Joel he comes in, and he's a competitive player but he keeps his game very simple," Head coach Ryan Huska said of Hanley [https://x.com/NHLFlames/status/1874904746705793335] ahead of a home game on January 2nd [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/game-day/flames-projected-lineup-notes-against-utah-hockey-club-1-2-25]. Bringing a special stay-at-home skill set, Hanley has been a great partner, allowing Weegar to join in on the offense. The duo's ability showed in Tuesday's road win when Hanley assisted on Weegar's opening goal against the Anaheim Ducks. Hanley had an especially good night statistically, finding another assist later and earning his first two points of the year. When skating together, the pair has outscored the opposition with eight goals for and two against. The pair have also outshot the opposition with 47 shots for and only 27 against, with a 61.7 CF%. Is this role as a good partner for Weegar enough to make Conroy extend the pending unrestricted free agent? Making a near-league-minimum salary, Hanley could be a low-risk, high-reward extension. This year, Hanley skated with the Flames in his 200th game, something unexpected for the undrafted veteran. Teammates were thrilled for him, as he's often described as a big team guy and a positive locker-room presence. "When I first got into the league, I didn't think I'd ever get here; I just want to continue growing and (getting) better," Hanley told Flames writers after the milestone game. [https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/hanley-s-work-ethic-attitude-helping-him-thrive] With some talented blueliners waiting for a chance [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/latest-news/hunter-brzustewicz-calgary-flames-first-pro-goal] with the big club one day, including Hunter Brzustewicz and Zayne Parekh, keeping Hanley as a mentor for the short term would be valuable on and off the ice. Despite his value in Calgary at the moment, the pending UFA likely has little trade value. But if Hanley — who made his NHL debut against the Flames and now finds himself wearing the uniform — can continue to carve a bigger role for himself beside Weegar, there could be more years to follow in that same sweater.
