Vegas extends Hanifin

[Axeman33]

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/st...6b5F_qWlQ&s=19

$7.35 M AAV per season, 8-year deal, Noah Hanifin extends with Vegas Golden Knights

Is that less than was rumored offered by Calgary earlier and declined? Tax difference maybe?

[RizzeeDizzee]

That is.......too much. Yes he's only 27, but has nearly 700 career games played, meaning by the time he's 30 that'll be almost 1000, making it likelier he breaks down at an earlier age. This also likely means Theodore will be elsewhere in two seasons.

[ericdaoust]

The way Vegas moves players in and out, there might be a year or two in there where he gets a prime PP role.

[BlackhawksFan]

I own him in a cap league, and am debating what to do with Hanifin in the offseason. Right now, he is performing well after the trade. He is on the top pairing and PP1. This is with Theodore healthy, but Pietrangelo injured. Hence, where my concern lies. When everyone is healthy where does he slot in? I think he takes the place of Martinez on the roster, for only 2m more of a cap hit. He will be top 4 next season for sure, but what PP does he slot in on? If PP1, then not a bad cap hit for the performance that he will give. If PP2(or none at all), his cap hit becomes debatable. VGK like to balance and switch lines and roles around. Pietrangelo has become a band-aid boy the past few years, and at his current age of 34, I could see that continuing. Pietrangelo's contract is a boat anchor as well, so hard to see that contract moving. As stated, Theodore has one season left on his current deal. He has been injury prone as well the past few seasons. He has played 60 games only once in the past four years. Thus, taking injuries into consideration, I can see why Vegas took a chance and locked him in. I think the playoffs will be telling as to his future usage and how VGK see him fitting in.

[Dave Muir]

As a Theodore owner I hate this signing… Hanifin as been on PP1 lately and he performing very well to be honest.

[Pengwin7]

With where inflation & NHL cap is heading... I like this number for the 27-year old Hanifin and VGK.
This takes him to age 35. I don't think this is a bad number at all.
(Though some D seem to break down as they get into their 30s... Dougie Hamilton... others - Chara - have had no problem playing at high level through age 35.)
(I like Hanifin's game-style... it's very paced, like Pietrangelo... and I'm on board with 8-year contracts into mid-30s for guys that can avoid injuries and not play wreckless/over-pace.)

Makes more sense than waiting/dealing with Shea Theodore as a 30-year old PP1 guy in summer 2025 UFA.


[Any Calgary fans would know - but has this guy ever had a major injury? Look like he's played 79-81gp every single season... 70/70 and 47/56 in the COVID-shortened years.]

[ericdaoust]

I own him in a cap league, and am debating what to do with Hanifin in the offseason. Right now, he is performing well after the trade. He is on the top pairing and PP1. This is with Theodore healthy, but Pietrangelo injured. Hence, where my concern lies. When everyone is healthy where does he slot in? I think he takes the place of Martinez on the roster, for only 2m more of a cap hit. He will be top 4 next season for sure, but what PP does he slot in on? If PP1, then not a bad cap hit for the performance that he will give. If PP2(or none at all), his cap hit becomes debatable. VGK like to balance and switch lines and roles around. Pietrangelo has become a band-aid boy the past few years, and at his current age of 34, I could see that continuing. Pietrangelo's contract is a boat anchor as well, so hard to see that contract moving. As stated, Theodore has one season left on his current deal. He has been injury prone as well the past few seasons. He has played 60 games only once in the past four years. Thus, taking injuries into consideration, I can see why Vegas took a chance and locked him in. I think the playoffs will be telling as to his future usage and how VGK see him fitting in.

I'm not too interested in high-salary defensemen who are not elite producers. Has to be a top guy, otherwise I prefer going the cheap value route.

[BlackhawksFan]

I'm not too interested in high-salary defensemen who are not elite producers. Has to be a top guy, otherwise I prefer going the cheap value route.

I agree with this. Hanifin has looked the part as PP1 Dman since being acquired. If that carries on to next year, I could see him getting 60. Not elite by any means, but your elite D are hovering around the 10m AAV mark. 7.35m AAV for 60pts wouldn't be horrible.

[Bubba55]

When I grow up I want to be an above average but far from elite NHL D Man (:

Sweet contract for Hanifin, but wow, these guys are getting paid a Kings Ransom, are they worth it???? Maybe a topic for another thread?

[2014olympicgold]

8yrs ago, if you could skate and chew gum, guys were getting $4m/yr. Which was about 6% of the cap. Now Hanifin is getting almost 9%.

Imagine if he was a righty.

[Pengwin7]

Sweet contract for Hanifin, but wow, these guys are getting paid a Kings Ransom, are they worth it???? Maybe a topic for another thread?

Defensemen are - in my opinion - by far... the most underappreciated players from fandom viewpoints.
They are - though - emerging into the "finally paid higher and rightly" that NFL left tackles started getting at one point.

The challenge is that these days... defensemen that are big AND great skaters are very valuable... and VERY rare.
The forwards coming into the NHL today are so deft with their edgework/footwork - so shifty - that they are turning a lot of the old-guard (guys like Erik Johnson & ME Vlasic) inside out.

Guys like Pietrangelo & Hanifin & Sergachev & Slavin...
And a young group like Harley & Sanderson & Guhle...
And it's why guys like Reinbacher & Simashev end up going in advance of Michkov & Leonard...
[Bret Hedican probably wishes he was born 20+ years later than he was... he'd be rich.]

Last year - the VGK blueline was a big grind for team in a 7-game playoff series.

So... it IS kind of like the old "chew gum & skate"...
But now, really... it's "dance & do math equations about what the opposing puck-carrying or non-carrying forward is going to do in the next half-second".

It's a reactionary cost of the new forwards...
You need somebody still big enough to muscle the big guys... but fleet enough to dance with the good skaters.


GMs know.
The rest of us... you'd have to step on the ice and play against the range of NHL forwards... perhaps... to appreciate it.
From TV viewing - it's just really underappreciated how tough it is to defend against today's range of NHL forwards.
Experienced, great skating 34 year old... they can be worth $8m.

Standard economics... supply & demand.
The demand for great-skating, great-defending big D-men is high.
The supply for great-skating, great-defending big D-men is low.
$$$$