I've said it before, but I see Hanifin as a Bouwmeester type defenceman. Excellent skater, good size, plays a low risk game, reliable but not a game breaker. We were all very excited when the Flames acquired Bouwmeester, then once the honeymoon was over, for whatever reason, many Flames fans wanted him moved. I'm not really sure why this was, Bouwmeester didn't bother me that much, the Flames were stinkers regardless. But I can't help but wonder if the same thing will happen to Hanifin.
As for Bouwmeester, he kind of topped out development wise around 23/24, so assuming Hanifin is on a similar trajectory, he is likely pretty close to his upside. Now I could be wrong and Hanifin might have another gear, but based on his playing style, I simply don't think it will move the needle much. He'll get more reliable and be a dependable top-four, but don't expect him to suddenly emerge as a Karlsson-type game breaker.
Hamilton on the other hand reminds me of Brent Burns, with all the same personality/development quirks that Burns had as a young player. Hamilton isn't as physical as Burns, but otherwise plays a very similar style and can be a game breaker. There were multiple games last season where Hamilton basically forced a win, that's a pretty rare thing in the modern NHL. Developmentally I don't think Hamilton's ceiling is as high as Burns', since Burns has that extra physical dimension to his game, but Hamilton can still top out as a top ten defenceman in the league, whereas Hanifin will be a much less flashy top-four.
Hamilton was the best player in the deal and will likely remain so.
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