3 reasons why Noah Hanifin to the NJ Devils would make sense

After being the subject of trade speculation for quite a long while, there is a good chance that the Calgary Flames will move blueliner Noah Hanifin either at or before the 2024 trade deadline. Per The Fourth Period, Hanifin remains linked to the New Jersey Devils, among other teams that include the Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lighting, and the Boston Bruins. 

New Jersey, who once upon a time this season didn’t look like they would break into the playoffs, are within striking distance of landing a wild card spot. But they need at least one more asset to put them into the best possible position to reach the postseason for the second straight year.

There are quite a few players out there who would help out the Devils, like Jacob Markstrom. But Hanifin also makes a lot of sense at the moment. But why him and not someone who may come at a cheaper price like Hanifin’s current teammate, Chris Tanev? 

There are a few reasons Hanifin would work well with the Devils more than some other blueliners should New Jersey look to boost the defensive rotation.

The Devils have more than enough cap space to make the trade work

With nearly $9.5 million in deadline cap space, the Devils can easily take on the rest of Hanifin’s contract, and they should even have enough to keep him around long-term. With a trio of blueliners seeing their contracts expire either as a restricted or an unrestricted free agent, a potential extension for an upper-echelon player like Hanifin makes for a great trade-off should the Devils move on from Colin Miller and Nick DeSimone. 

Santeri Hatakka is still on his entry-level deal and a restricted free agent, so it's a shoo-in that he sticks around. But overall, Hatakka isn’t breaking the bank anytime soon, and the Devils would be a better team with Hanifin. 

If they can afford him for perhaps more than the foreseeable future, why not roll with one of the game’s better blueliners?