Should the Nashville Predators Make a Deal for Noah Hanifin?
The Calgary Flames defenseman is an appealing option but the timing may not be right for the Nashville Predators.
Should the Nashville Predators Make a Deal for Noah Hanifin?Barry Trotz began the offseason with a flurry of activity that included moving big names like Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen and signing veterans Ryan O'Reilly, Luke Schenn, and Gustav Nyquist. On July 6, the Predators signed Denis Gurianov to a one year deal, but since then things have been quiet on the 2023-2024 roster front. It will be a very different team that takes the ice on October 10 if Barry Trotz is done making deals, but should the Predators consider one more move?
Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin has made it clear he isn't interested in signing an extension with the Flames, and according to Eliotte Friedman, Hanifin is looking to play with a U.S. based team. Now that Erik Karlsson is off the market, 26-year-old Hanifin becomes one of the top defensive options for teams looking to improve their blue line.
Should the Nashville Predators consider trading for Hanifin?
The Predators blue line has several players who are facing a "prove it" season. Jeremy Lauzon has three more years remaining on a four-year, $8 million contract but struggled to show he is the solid third pair defenseman David Poile was hoping for when he signed Lauzon in June 2022. Alexandre Carrier missed 39 games last season due to injury, and the front office was left wondering if he can get back to being the player he was in 2021-2022. Dante Fabbro played a majority of the season in '23-'24, but he was a healthy scratch for a few games and is a name often mentioned in Predators trade rumors.
Hanifin is coming off of two of his best seasons scoring a career high 48 points in 2021-22 and 38 points last season. He's a top four defenseman who contributes on the power play and penalty kill and isn't afraid to block shots.
While there are plenty of teams who might like Hanifin on their roster, his $4.95 million cap hit limits the teams who could afford him. The Predators have almost $8 million in cap space, so financially it could be done, but it would be a move with both pros and cons.
Hanifin would give the Predators a solid top four left shot defenseman. He generates offensive chances, and his 38 points last season would have been second only to Roman Josi on the 2022-23 Predators' roster. It is an upgrade the Predators could afford, and if he isn't a long term piece for Nashville going forward, he makes an attractive trade piece at the deadline in 2024.
Would the Predators be willing to give up what the Flames may be looking for in a deal? Calgary can't afford to take on any big contracts and are likely looking for young players, promising prospects, and perhaps some draft picks for Hanifin. While Nashville has eleven draft picks in 2024, the Predators are a team focused on developing young players and prospects. Barry Trotz may hesitate to deal any of Nashville's most appealing prospects without another season to evaluate the risk/reward of parting ways with a young player.
Trotz cautioned fans that the team could take a step backwards before getting back into deep playoff contention but at the same time says the team isn't in a "rebuild" but a "reset". Bringing in a player like Noah Hanifin may indicate the Predators are committed to keeping that window short.
