The Toronto Maple Leafs are the destination for every single player who might be available.
Jeeze Louise! There was even a Toronto Maple Leaf and Scott Laughton rumour last week.
There is exactly one city in the NHL that can get a buzz going about Scott Freaking Laughton and you’re living in it.
But what about a player that actually matters? Or a rumour that might actually happen (well Laughton could happen, but it shouldn’t and either way, who would really care?).
Noah Hanifin is a borderline number-one NHL defenseman who, if he isn’t a superstar, is still very good. He’d likely be the Leafs best defenseman, depending on which Morgan Rielly shows up.
And he comes from the Calgary Flames and is well known to new Leafs GM Brad Treliving. Hanifin was also some people’s favorite choice back in the Mitch Marner draft where the Leafs made the right call, leaving Hanifin to the Hurricanes and selecting Marner.
In retrospect, Carolina probably wishes they took Zach Werenski or Mikko Rantanen, but that’s a different article.
Toronto Maple Leafs Red Hot Rumour: Noah Hanifin
Hanifin was traded to Calgary as part of the Dougie Hamilton trade, but he’s not anywhere as close to as good as Dougie Hamilton.
Still, he’s a decent player.
Hanifin is 26, 6’3 and 210. He’s a big boy, but he’s not overly defensive. Hanifin is an offensive, puck moving defenseman who has never breached 10 goals or hit 50 points.
On the Leafs, he likely would, he’s 26 so he’s still got maybe some upside, but this isn’t number-one defenseman people would like the Leafs to go out and get.
I mean, it’s not impossible that he becomes that, but most players are what they are by 26 – you don’t get a whole lot of Jose Bautistas in this world (became an MVP / Borderline Hall of Famer at 27 and prior to that wasn’t even a regular).
Hanifin is probably about as good as Morgan Rielly is. He’s never (as far as I know) had a stretch where he was as good as Morgan Rielly’s peak circa 2018-19, or even as good as Rielly was this spring (Rielly was so good he rejuvenated the career of AHL player Luke Schenn).
Noah Hanifin is a good player who can help the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s not the kind of player you’d trade William Nylander for. He’s not young or high ceilinged enough for that.
If you could get him for a first round pick and a couple B prospects, that’d be a sweet trade. Otherwise, it’s a hard pass, because he’s kind of overrated, not good defensively and is at the age where he’s unlikely to get better.
He’s good value at $5 million this year, but is a great candidate for getting overpaid heading into his 30s. The Toronto Maple Leafs should try to get him, but only for a reasonable cost.