Flames blueliner debunks rumour that he's looking to leave Calgary
There have been a lot of rumours coming out of Calgary this summer, mostly relating to who wants to stay and who wants to go. One of the players who was originally thought to be considering leaving is defenseman Noah Hanifin, who has one year left on his current deal, which carries a $4.95M cap hit.
Back in June, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman had reported that Hanifin would prefer to play for an American team and that he would likely be departing Calgary as a free agent next summer.
"Hanifin has indicated he would like to go back to the United States. Look, he's a year away from unrestricted free agency, and when you become a UFA you've earned the right to make your call. I've got no problem with that. And Hanifin had let them know that that was the way he was going, so they knew about that." Friedman on Hanifin in late June.
Well, there's an intriguing new development here as Hanifin has told reporters that he may not want out after all. Hanifin told Sportsnet's Eric Francis that, contrary to reports, he is indeed willing to re-sign with the Flames.
"I just want to see how this year kind of played out a little bit and take my time a little bit," Hanifin said this week
Hanifin, a native of Boston, will be entering his sixth season with the Calgary Flames after being traded to them by Carolina in 2018. In 81 games last season, the 26-year-old had 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists), 33 penalty minutes and was a plus-two.
POLL |
What will the Flames do with Noah Hanifin? |
Re-sign him | 48 | 26.2 % |
Trade him | 73 | 39.9 % |
He'll walk to free agency next summer | 50 | 27.3 % |
See Results | 12 | 6.6 % |
List of polls |
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