Trading Hanifin and not making another trade to back-fill his position is going to create a serious hole.
I love Valimaki, but he is still making mistakes on coverage in the defensive zone. Sutter is here now, and I think he is magic with D, but until Valimaki plays like a number 4, he shouldn't be a number 4. I think maybe next season he will be - probably the season after for sure. I would bank my life savings on that happening. However, for this season, there is no way Valimaki can replace the solid play of Hanifin.
Trading Hanifin out better be bringing back an absolute gem of a piece up front in a lop-sided trade to make it worth it, because it will create a huge hole on the backend.
Now, if you want to then trade some talent in the forward group to backfill, then you just make the argument that you are doing it to change the 'mix', or that overall these trades made Calgary more talented. That's fine.
Maybe trading picks and prospects for a #4 D is also done to backfill for Hanifin.
I just don't see this team being able to replace Hanifin on the backend right now, and I do think it would leave an awfully big hole that makes the strengthening of the forward group largely irrelevant when it comes to trying to win.
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