Should Noah Hanifin be on the Buffalo Sabres trade radar?
The Buffalo Sabres could be looking to make a big trade for a defenseman to pair with second-year blueliner, Owen Power. Noah Hanifin may be on the radar.
It’s no secret that the Buffalo Sabres are going to do all they can to make a playoff run in 2023-24, but they need to improve their presence on the blue line. This past season, the Blue and Gold saw that they have three defensemen who will play in the Queen City for a long time, but the bottom three was nothing short of a disaster.
The best player to line up alongside Power last season was Ilya Lyubushkin, which isn’t saying much. Lyubushkin and Henri Jokiharju would be best-suited for the third pairing, while general manager Kevyn Adams scans the free agent or the trade market. And besides the likes of Brett Pesce, Noah Hanifin is another name that’s been thrown around the rumor mill.
So what value would Hanifin bring to the Blue and Gold, and how much could it cost to acquire him? Keep reading for more.
Noah Hanifin would be a good fit for the Buffalo Sabres
Hanifin’s age and size alone would make him a good fit on the Sabres blue line. Standing at 6’3 and weighing 207 lb, Hanifin would give Buffalo yet another imposing asset on the top four to go with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power. He’s also just 26, so if Adams is looking for someone to potentially fit long-term, Hanifin once again makes for a sensible trade piece.
Two drawbacks, however, are that a) Hanifin has an eight-team no-trade list, per Cap-Friendly, and b) Hanifin carries a $4.95 million cap hit this season and he’s in a contract year. We know the Sabres are looking to extend Dahlin and Power, and during the season, they could also seek to extend Casey Mittelstadt and even Peyton Krebs, as each can identify with the team’s core.
While The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie listed Krebs and the 13th overall pick as a potential trade package for Hanifin, I highly doubt the Sabres part with the Calgary native. Krebs started making a name for himself on the Sabres PK unit last season, which for the longest time was a major weakness for the team. Krebs is also a bruiser on the fourth line, and he was outstanding on both defense and in possession exits. That said, it’s tough to see the Sabres giving up Krebs.
Potential Trade Package
McKenzie has the Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames would also swap first round picks, which would be sensible. But given the overall risk with acquiring Hanifin as a potential rental if the parties can’t reach an extension, I wouldn’t expect the Sabres to give away anyone from their current core.
Therefore, you can forget about them trading the likes of Krebs or Mittelstadt. However, I could see the Sabres giving up the following assets for Hanifin and the 16th overall pick:
- Victor Olofsson
- Jacob Bryson
- 13th overall pick
- Noah Ostlund
This would work well for the Sabres, as they would free up cap space. It also lets them move back in the 2023 NHL Draft and perhaps snag someone like Quentin Musty. Meanwhile, the purportedly rebuilding Flames would get a pair of stopgaps in Olofsson and Bryson, and they’re getting a high-end prospect in Ostlund.
Overall, this deal could end up as a win-win for the Sabres and Flames. Buffalo gets its top four guy perhaps long-term, and if either Olofsson or Bryson get it together, then the Flames could have one or even a pair of pieces to ink to long-term deals.
Verdict
So, should the Buffalo Sabres try and make a trade for Noah Hanifin? The obvious upside is that the Blue and Gold are getting a young player who can fit into the team long-term. Hanifin is a big body, and he carries a cap hit that the Sabres can at least handle this season. There are also several pieces that Buffalo can trade to the potentially rebuilding Flames.
No, Hanifin is not an RHD, and if the Sabres are looking to extend Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and even others from their young core, it will be tough to extend Hanifin for the right price, as he would likely demand something well over what he’s making now.
light. Related Story. 3 defensemen Sabres could trade for at 2023 NHL Draft
Personally, I’m all for what Kevyn Adams is doing and I’m even more for him staying the course. Building a team through the system and no real blockbuster trades apart from getting rid of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Rasmus Ristolainen a couple of years back helped put this team on the right path, so just as I said with Hellebuyck, I’m saying “no deal” regarding Hanifin.
Source: Noah Hanifin trade proposals: 5 potential destinations for the Flames defenceman by Julian McKenzie, TheAthletic.com
(Statistics and additional information provided by Hockey-Reference)