Knights land standout Flames defenseman Hanifin

The Vegas Golden Knights got prized Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin on Wednesday evening as they slide a 2d straight Stanley Cup championship.

Hanafin became share of a 3-team change that saw the Flames and Philadelphia Flyers both wait on salary to facilitate the deal.

The Flames obtained a conditional 2025 first-round find, a conditional 2025 third-round find and defenseman Daniil Miromanov for Hanifin, retaining 50% of his salary. The Flyers obtained a 2024 fifth-round find from Vegas for retaining 50% of Hanifin’s final salary.

In whole, Hanifin’s $4.95 million cap hit became reduced to $1,237,500 for the Golden Knights.

The picks sent to Calgary embody the following prerequisites:

• Within the occasion Vegas possesses its possess first-round different in the 2025 draft on March 10, 2024, AND in the occasion Vegas’ 2025 first-round different is NOT a top-10 find in the 2025 NHL draft, Vegas will send its 2025 first-round find to Calgary. Within the occasion Vegas does no longer maintain its possess first-round different in the 2025 draft attributable to the above celebrated prerequisites, Calgary will receive Vegas’ 2026 first-round find as an different.

• Within the occasion Vegas advances to the 2d round of the 2024 NHL playoffs, Vegas will send its 2d-round different in the 2025 draft in lieu of a 2024 third-round different.

In various words, the Golden Knights mute maintain the flexibleness to interchange their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks earlier than Friday’s NHL change level in time — and the salary retention way they’ll maintain room below the cap so as to add a participant as smartly.

Hanifin, 27, became scheduled to turn into an unrestricted free agent this offseason, having suggested the Flames he became going to take a look at the market. There is hypothesis the Golden Knights will build him to a contract extension.

Hanifin is in his ninth NHL season. He became drafted fifth general by the Hurricanes in 2015 and conducted three seasons in Carolina earlier than being traded to Calgary. The left defenseman has 35 facets in 61 games this season and is averaging 23: 46 in ice time.

Hanifin is 27th amongst defensemen in facets at some stage in the last three seasons, plays smartly in transition, and defensively is colossal on puck retrievals and zone exits with possession. He conducted in all eventualities for the Flames, collectively with on their top penalty-killing unit.

The Boston native can make contributions barely on the offensive live, however his merely designate is swallowing up minutes on the support live and matching up towards an opponent’s top line. He has 274 facets in 659 occupation games.

Hanifin became ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s NHL change level in time board. The Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers had been amongst the groups that inquired about him.

The Flames are expected to build Miromanov — a 6-foot-4 defenseman who showed some offensive upside in the AHL for Vegas — to a contract extension earlier than he turns into a Neighborhood 6 unrestricted free agent this summer season.

“It became extremely valuable to us to make rush this deal featured a critical-round draft find, and a Third-round find that has the skill to turn into a 2d-round choice,” acknowledged Flames frequent supervisor Craig Conroy. “Moreover, now we had been monitoring Daniil the previous couple of seasons and we’re chuffed to had been ready to make rush he became a share of this change.”

The Golden Knights now boast one among the NHL’s deepest defense corps. Hanifin joins a neighborhood that involves Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez, all of whom had been on Vegas’ Stanley Cup-winning roster.

Hanifin is the 2d key participant the Golden Knights maintain added earlier than the Friday level in time. Vegas got Capitals winger Anthony Mantha on Tuesday, with Washington retaining 50% of his cap hit.

The Golden Knights had been ready to make extra cap location earlier than the level in time by inserting captain Designate Stone on lengthy-term injured reserve. The winger suffered an greater-body grief in a Feb. 20 loss to the Nashville Predators, and the team obtained relief on his $9.5 million cap hit.

Stone underwent support surgical treatment last year and overlooked the final three months of the frequent season. He returned for Game 1 of the Golden Knights’ first-round playoff sequence.