Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy wanted to extend Noah Hanifin, but it was clear the defender wanted to move on. In his continued pursuit to inject talented youth into the lineup, Conroy moved him to another Pacific Division rival.
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired Hanifin at the NHL trade deadline last season and, a little more than a month later, extended him to an eight-year deal, the maximum term allowed. He went on to skate in 19 games in the 2023-24 regular season with Vegas, recording 12 points. Doing so while skating nearly 23 minutes per game, he proved he could be a valuable piece for the Knights.
In the first year of his new deal, Hanifin and the team sit atop the Pacific division, and near the top of the league as well. Skating in around 21 minutes per night, he’s facing top players on opposing teams.
With 21 points in 43 games this year, the 40-point pace would be the third-best of his career. The Knights are happy to have added another talented blueliner in one of the best D-cores in the NHL.
The trade sent conditional first- and third-round picks back to the Flames, along with defense prospect Daniil Miromanov.
Since the trade, the conditional first became a 2026 first-rounder from the Knights after they traded their top pick for 2025 to the San Jose Sharks, another Pacific division rival. The third-rounder will not change because the Knights failed to reach the second round in 2024.
Over the remainder of the 2023-24 season, Miromanov appeared in 20 games for the Flames. He scored seven points in that time, including two on the powerplay while skating around 21 minutes a night. That earned him a pretty regular role to start this season, although that has tapered off recently. Miromanov has skated in 29 games and recorded six points.
Playing a majority of his 18:51 average time on ice with MacKenzie Weegar, Miromanov has been scratched since Joel Hanley has stepped into that role and the latter has formed an excellent duo with Weegar. Hanley is a pending UFA, so it’s possible Miromanov will take back a more prominent role after the deadline or next season again.
At the time of the trade, the return was met with some criticism, but with a player expressing a desire not to extend with the team, Conroy was in a tough spot. He was able to get two draft picks and an NHL defender back with limited leverage — not a bad move.
This trade tree hasn’t stopped growing, as the 2026 first-rounder has some time before it will be used. GM Conroy could look to use that pick in a couple of years or consider flipping it before the trade deadline for some immediate help.
