The Capitals have reportedly expressed interest in Noah Hanifin.

The Washington Capitals have a lot to consider going into the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, and though the team could end up selling, they are also looking to the future and have been linked to an interesting name on the market: Noah Hanifin.

Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show, Washington has shown interest in the 27-year-old blueliner.

"I think they recognize that they gotta make some changes. I think they're like a lot of teams in the NHL that don't wanna do a teardown, they wanna see if they can kinda rebuild it on the fly. I think they're looking at some things out there," Friedman said. "Like I said, I think they've kinda kicked tired on Hanfiin a little bit. I think they're looking at I think they're also tracking what the market is on some of their guys."

Through 53 games with the Flames this season, Hanifin has put up 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points, along with a plus/minus rating of plus-17 and 86 blocks.

Hanifin is an outstanding puck mover with good skating ability and a high hockey IQ, and he can also log heavy minutes. The left-hand shot is also a versatile player who can be a top-pairing defender.

Acquiring a player like Hanifin would be a strong move for the Capitals, who brought in Rasmus Sandin at last year's deadline and are retooling as they face a rebuild in the coming years. 

Washington does have assets to offer, but Hanifin would have to want to sign in D.C., as he is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He carries a cap hit of $4.95 million, but the team does have the cap flexibility to pull a move off or spend money on a top defender, especially with selling being an option.

The Capitals have also reportedly explored the market on Nick Jensen and Joel Edmundson, so Hanifin would be another reliable top-4 option coming in to help fill the void.

The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is on March 8 at 3 p.m.