The Vegas Golden Knights acquired prized Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin on Wednesday night as they chase a second straight Stanley Cup championship.
Hanafin was part of a three-team trade that saw the Flames and Philadelphia Flyers both retain salary to facilitate the deal.
The Flames received a conditional 2025 first-round pick, a conditional 2025 third-round pick and defenseman Daniil Miromanov for Hanifin, retaining 50% of his salary. The Flyers received a 2024 fifth-round pick from Vegas for retaining 50% of Hanifin's remaining salary.
In total, Hanifin's $4.95 million cap hit was reduced to $1,237,500 for the Golden Knights.
The picks sent to Calgary include the following conditions:
• In the event Vegas possesses its own first-round choice in the 2025 draft on March 10, 2024, AND in the event Vegas' 2025 first-round choice is NOT a top-10 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, Vegas will send its 2025 first-round pick to Calgary. In the event Vegas does not possess its own first-round choice in the 2025 draft due to the above noted conditions, Calgary will receive Vegas' 2026 first-round pick instead.
• In the event Vegas advances to the second round of the 2024 NHL playoffs, Vegas will send its second-round choice in the 2025 draft in lieu of a 2024 third-round choice.
In other words, the Golden Knights still have the flexibility to trade their 2024 and 2025 first-round picks before Friday's NHL trade deadline -- and the salary retention means they'll have room under the cap to add a player as well.
Hanifin, 27, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, having informed the Flames he was going to test the market. There's speculation the Golden Knights will sign him to a contract extension.
Hanifin is in his ninth NHL season. He was drafted fifth overall by the Hurricanes in 2015 and played three seasons in Carolina before being traded to Calgary. The left defenseman has 35 points in 61 games this season and is averaging 23:46 in ice time.
Hanifin is 27th among defensemen in points over the past three seasons, plays well in transition, and defensively is great on puck retrievals and zone exits with possession. He played in all situations for the Flames, including on their top penalty-killing unit.
The Boston native can contribute moderately on the offensive end, but his true value is swallowing up minutes on the back end and matching up against an opponent's top line. He has 274 points in 659 career games.
Hanifin was ranked No. 2 on ESPN's NHL trade deadline board. The Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers were among the teams that inquired about him.
The Flames are expected to sign Miromanov -- a 6-foot-4 defenseman who showed some offensive upside in the AHL for Vegas -- to a contract extension before he becomes a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer.
"It was extremely important to us to ensure this deal featured a first-round draft pick, and a third-round pick that has the potential to become a second-round selection," said Flames general manager Craig Conroy. "Additionally, we have been tracking Daniil the past couple of seasons and we are pleased to have been able to ensure he was a part of this trade."
The Golden Knights now boast one of the NHL's deepest defense corps. Hanifin joins a group that includes Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez, all of whom were on Vegas' Stanley Cup-winning roster.
Hanifin is the second key player the Golden Knights have added ahead of the Friday deadline. Vegas acquired Capitals winger Anthony Mantha on Tuesday, with Washington retaining 50% of his cap hit.
The Golden Knights were able to create more cap space ahead of the deadline by putting captain Mark Stone on long-term injured reserve. The winger suffered an upper-body injury in a Feb. 20 loss to the Nashville Predators, and the team received relief on his $9.5 million cap hit.
Stone underwent back surgery last year and missed the final three months of the regular season. He returned for Game 1 of the Golden Knights' first-round playoff series.