Golden Knights Trading for Noah Hanifin; Full Scouting Report

Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon is not letting the opportunity to become the third back-to-back Stanley Cup champions slip away without a fight. The injury-ravaged Golden Knights lineup got one boost on Tuesday with the acquisition of Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals. Wednesday, Golden Knights trade No. 2 was the big blue line get: Noah Hanifin.

As of publishing, the deal is not yet done, but multiple national reports show the deal is being finalized. Darren Dreger of TSN was the first to report the deal.

The story is breaking, so the details of the trade are not yet known. It is believed Calgary will retain some of Hanifin’s salary, too. Check back to VHN for further details as they become available.

The Golden Knights had $4.35 million in proportional cap space before the trade. Hanifin makes $4.95 million, so Calgary will eat at least $600,000, though probably more.

Hanifin, 27, is the prized trade deadline acquisition for clubs looking to upgrade their defense and is part of the Calgary Flames sell-off. According to Calgary Hockey Now’s Trevor Neufeld, Hanifin is a top-pairing defenseman who is a slick skating puck mover who specializes in the transition game. He doesn’t shoot as much as he should but likes to sneak low shots through traffic for his forwards to deflect.

“He’s great at just about everything,” Neufeld told Vegas Hockey Now. “He can falter on puck retrievals … but can hold his own playing at the highest tempo.”

The Golden Knights trade will give them a top-pair quality left-handed d-man to pair with Shea Theodore or Alex Pietrangelo. Hanifin is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. In 61 games with Calgary this season, he has 35 points, including scoring 11 goals.

Multiple reports from the national outlets also indicate the Golden Knights are working to sign Hanifin to a new contract. The blueliner’s contract with a $4.95 million salary cap hit is set to expire after this season. However, reports differ regarding the immediacy of the extension announcement.