The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Noah Hanifin to an eight-year contract extension. The team announced the news on Thursday and reports are that the deal is worth $7.35 million per season, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
Chris Johnston reports the Hanifin extension is front-loaded and includes signing bonuses. It will pay him a little less than $30 million across the first three seasons.
As per LeBrun, the deal breaks down as follows:
- 24-25, $1M base salary, $8.5M SB
- 25-26, $1.6M salary, $7.9M SB
- 26-27, $2M salary, $7.5M SB
- 27-28, $2M salary, $5.5M SB
- 28-29, $5.7M salary
- 29-30, $5.7M salary
- 30-31, $5.7M salary
- 31-32, $5.7M salary
The Golden Knights made headlines at the trade deadline when they acquired Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals for draft picks. They went after that move and acquired Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames. Both moves set up the Golden Knights to be one of the strongest teams heading into the postseason. While the team has struggled down the stretch, Hanifin has proven to be a solid player for the team. He has nine points in 16 games for Vegas since his arrival.
He is a top-pairing blueliner who has a well-rounded game. He’s a solid player with few weaknesses.
Vegas Avoids Hanifin Testing the Free Agent Market
There was some talk immediately following the deal that Hanifin might want to test the market and got out east to a team like the Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning. But, there was chatter he’d be open to a long-term deal with Vegas. As a pending unrestricted free agent, he was bound to receive a nice payday. He’s getting it with Vegas, keeping more money on his deal as he signs with a tax-free state.
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