What latest Noah Hanifin-Lightning rumor means for Bruins at trade dea…
What latest Noah Hanifin-Lightning rumor means for Bruins at trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin is the best player rumored to be available ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, and the latest report on his status is not good news for the Boston Bruins.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night during the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast that Hanifin prefers the Tampa Bay Lightning as a trade destination.
Friedman expanded on that report during Monday’s episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, with co-host Jeff Marek.
“As of Sunday, when we’re taping this, Hanifin is still focused on teams he wants to sign with, and I think the Flames are, too. No. 1 on that list, and no one has told me I’m wrong about this, is Tampa Bay,” Friedman said. “I believe the Lightning would like to do it. When that happens, it tells me there’s a deal to be made contract-wise, there just hasn’t been a deal to be made trade-wise.
“As I said on Saturday, if it was that easy to do, it would be done already. What we don’t know here is what happens if they can’t get this done? Does Hanifin open up his list of teams — he has a partial no-trade clause, too — or does Calgary get to the point where it simply says, look, we’re going to do what we think is best and we’re going to make that deal?”
The Lightning have a major need on the blue line after star defenseman Mikhail Sergachev underwent left leg surgery in February. He is out indefinitely, and it’s unknown when or if he’ll return this season. The Lightning enter Monday in the second wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — six points ahead of the New York Islanders.
Tampa Bay has a pretty good chance of reaching the postseason, but doing so is not guaranteed. Adding a player of Hanifin’s caliber would help them all over the ice at 5-on-5 and special teams. Put simply, he would make the Lightning a legit contender in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning rank No. 7 in…
