The rich keep getting richer in Sin City.
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. In return, the Flames receive defenseman Daniil Miromanov, a 2025 conditional first-round pick and 2025 third-round pick.
The Philadelphia Flyers are also involved in the trade. They are retaining 50% of Hanifin’s $4.95 million cap hit ($2.475 million). They are receiving the Golden Knight’s fifth-round pick in this year’s draft as well.
With that, Vegas only pays 50% of what is left of Hanifin’s cap hit ($1,237,500). In total, 75% of Hanifin’s contract is being retained, a financial benefit for the Golden Knights.
The first-round pick will be in 2025 unless the Golden Knights trade it ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline at 3:00 PM ET on Friday. If they do, it will be a 2026 pick going the other way.
Also, the 2025 third-round pick will become a second-round pick if the Golden Knights advance to the second round.
Miromanov later signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.25 million per season.
According to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger, a contract extension is also in the works for Hanifin, though nothing is official yet.
Hanifin was in the last year of a six-year contract that he signed with the Flames in August 2018. This contract saw the Boston native make $4.95 million a year, with a modified no-trade clause in the last two seasons, in which Hanifin submitted an eight-team no-trade list.
The Flames had been trying to get Hanifin to sign an extension to stay in Calgary, but it never panned out. It forced general manager Craig Conroy to search for trade suitors, or risk losing the exceptional blueliner for nothing if he went to free agency this offseason.
There is no question Hanifin’s trade stock was high, as he was playing great on a team that has been in and out of the playoff conversation for much of the season. In 61 games, the former Boston College product has scored 11 goals and 24 assists, and was fifth on the Flames in scoring. He is on pace to surpass his career-best 48 points set during the 2021-22 season.
This is the second time Hanifin has been traded. In June 2018, he, along with Elias Lindholm, was traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to Calgary, which saw Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and Adam Fox’s signing rights go the other way.
In 659 NHL games, Hanifin has scored 60 goals and 214 assists, including eight assists in 27 playoff games.
It is the second trade that Vegas has made in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday, the Golden Knights picked up Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals, giving the reigning Stanley Cup champions a little more depth up front as well.
The Golden Knights (33-22-7) are currently tied for third in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings, which has Vegas holding the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
The Flames (30-26-5) are sixth in the Pacific, eight points back of the Golden Knights.
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