[GreenLantern2814]

Figured we might as well have a dedicated thread for this, seeing as how it'll be a topic of conversation for the foreseeable future.

Here's how both players have begun their tenures with their respective new teams. If someone else wants to interprate their advanced stats, go for it - I have no idea how to apply them.

Hanifin:

6 GP 0G 2A +1 2 PIM 11 shots 20:58 ATOI 10 Blocks 8 Hits 7 Takeaways 8 Giveaways 60% Dzone starts

Hamilton:

7 GP 0G 3A +1 2 PIM 29 shots 20:05 ATOI 6 Blocks 14 hits 2 Takeaways 6 Giveaways 49.4 Dzone starts

There are lies, damn lies and statistics, as Twain would tell us. With that said, my initial impression of Hanifin is that he's either as good or nearly as good as Hamilton right now. He's four years younger, nearly a million bucks cheaper and under contract for an additional three years, so by the time he's 25, we could be talking about this contract like Josi's.

I find Hanifin's game to be much smoother and polished - he doesn't handle the puck like a grenade the way Dougie could. Neither are especially physical. I was surprised to see Hanifin so buried in the defensive zone - 2/3 of his shifts begin there, which tells me Peters has a ton of confidence in the player.

On top of everything, Hanifin's presence has given Brodie's career a Senzu bean. The gap between Brodano and Gio/Hamilton is minimal, and Hanifin has been a stabilizing force on the 2nd pair.

So far so good. This trade could be an all-timer. But as the Zen Master says, 'We'll see'.