September 12, 2023 | 5:24pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

WILL FLAMES KEEP HANIFIN THIS SEASON?

Noah Hanifin, defenceman

Veteran defenceman Noah Hanifin has made is abundantly clear he does not plan on signing a contract extension with the Calgary Flames. Barring a major change of heart, he isn’t expected to alter his mindset going into training camp.

With six defencemen set to become unrestricted free agents next summer – including blueliner Oliver Kylington, who remains away from the club for personal matters – the belief is Calgary could have a significant turnover on defence next season.

But for now, with camps set to begin next week, Flames GM Craig Conroy is focused on the current roster.

Whether any changes occur in the coming weeks remains to be seen.

Hanifin, 26, comes with a $4.95 million salary cap hit. He also owns an eight-team no-trade list as part of his contract.

The Flames want to remain competitive and compete for a playoff spot this season, so selling off some of their players on expiring contracts for future assets does not appear to be in play. Any trade involving Hanifin, as of now, would likely result in a talent-for-talent swap.

The Nashville Predators were among the teams exploring the defence market over the summer, but it is unclear if talks with Calgary reached a serious point.

As teams evaluate their rosters over the next few weeks, the need for a top-four blueliner could present itself. Until then, Hanifin remains set to start the 2023-24 campaign in Calgary.

In 81 games with the Flames last season, Hanifin registered seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points and 33 penalty minutes.