EDMONTON -- Things could not have worked out much better for Noah Hanifin considering all the uncertainly heading into this season.
The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman signed an eight-year, $58.8 million contract ($7.35 million average annual value) Thursday, after being acquired from the Calgary Flames in a three-team trade March 6. Hanifin will play his 18th game with the Golden Knights when they host the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT).
“I’m really happy with the way things have unfolded and I was super appreciative of my six years in Calgary -- it’s an amazing city, an amazing place to play hockey,” Hanifin told NHL.com. “But for me, it’s a good new chapter being in Vegas now.”
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes No. 5 in the 2015 NHL Draft, Hanifin, 27, is in his ninth NHL season. He played three seasons with the Hurricanes before acquired by the Flames on June 23, 2018, along with forward Elias Lindholm, for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, forward Michael Ferland and defenseman Adam Fox, who has since gone on to win the Norris Trophy with the New York Rangers.
Hanifin was going into the final of a six-year, $29.7 million contract ($4.95 million AAV) this season and knew he was likely going to be on the move prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8.
“I think at the end of the day, any time you’re going through a contract year there are going to be some distractions and decision making,” Hanifin said. “But for me, it was a important year to go out and perform and have a good season and take care of what I can control, and that’s my play, and whatever happens around the Deadline was going to happen.”
Despite the uncertainty regarding his future, Hanifin managed to have a strong final season in Calgary and had 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 61 games before he was traded. He has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 17 games with the Golden Knights, including two assists when they clinched a playoff berth with a 7-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Friday.