[Rumour] TSN: Hanifin decision expected in coming days. D market waits on Tanev

[Mr.Coffee]

The second you sign Hanifin is the second he stops caring. What’s worse- he already is lukewarm on Calgary and being a Flame, obviously, and that’s after being offered $60mm to play hockey here.

Trade him. This is another easy decision.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

It’s weird how many CPers can read minds. Even weirder that their skills only extend to reading the minds of pending UFAs for the Calgary Flames. What an oddly specific and yet completely useless superpower.

[bluejays]

I'm not sounding condescending when I say it's crazy that some fans haven't learned their lesson about signing vets and the risk that comes with signing them to long term deals. We've had numerous in the past 5 years and none IMO, have worked. What makes Hanifin any different? We've reached our capacity for veterans we can take a chance on. We have Kadri and Huberdeau. Can't have any potential aging vet taking up cap space doing nothing after 34. Hanifin's gotta go.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I wouldn't help him get 8 years and leave town unless the offer is an absolute home run...right now the Flames can offer something that nobody else can. Don't be like Tre and help a player bail and then thank him for being such a great guy after.

If the sign and trade is in any way better than the Ufa trade, you do it. No reason to reason to handicap your own team just to screw over a player. Hanifin is also being pretty professional about this whole thing. He's being up front about his intentions and he's not pouting or giving up on the team either.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

It’s weird how many CPers can read minds. Even weirder that their skills only extend to reading the minds of pending UFAs for the Calgary Flames. What an oddly specific and yet completely useless superpower.

And don’t think I don’t regret passing on flight every goddamn day.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I'm not sounding condescending when I say it's crazy that some fans haven't learned their lesson about signing vets and the risk that comes with signing them to long term deals. We've had numerous in the past 5 years and none IMO, have worked. What makes Hanifin any different? We've reached our capacity for veterans we can take a chance on. We have Kadri and Huberdeau. Can't have any potential aging vet taking up cap space doing nothing after 34. Hanifin's gotta go.

He's only 27 and a defender. The last defenders the Flames signed past 34 (btw this barely gets Hanifin past 34) were Tanev and Giordano. Giordano won a Norris at 35.

Hanifin's style of play doesn't expose him to an early decline. Relatively low risk.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I'm not sounding condescending when I say it's crazy that some fans haven't learned their lesson about signing vets and the risk that comes with signing them to long term deals. We've had numerous in the past 5 years and none IMO, have worked. What makes Hanifin any different? We've reached our capacity for veterans we can take a chance on. We have Kadri and Huberdeau. Can't have any potential aging vet taking up cap space doing nothing after 34. Hanifin's gotta go.

Kadri is on pace to get 70 points in the year that he turns 34.

Backlund is on pace for 40 points as a 34 year old.

Giordano has 74 points as a 35 year old.

Hanifin of course would only be past the magical age of 34 for one season if he signed an 8 year deal so we would not have much to worry about.

Who are these guys over 34 doing nothing that you speak of?

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Who are these guys over 34 doing nothing that you speak of?

Already retired because they can't play anymore.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Redrum

Already retired because they can't play anymore.

Then how are they taking up cap space?

[traptor]

Hanifin is a really good player.

7.5x8 is a slight overpay but he will probably live up to the contract.

That doesn't mean it's a good fit for the Flames at this time.

A d-core of Hanifin, Weegar, Andersson and Kylington is a solid group. A bit of a microcosm of the flames. Good throughout but no elite talent.

This D-core backed by Markstrom will stop us from bottoming out. We probably won't even get a top 10 pick.
But is it enough to be a contender? All I see is another 16th-22nd place team for the next few years if we re-sign Hanifin and keep Markstrom.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by traptor

Hanifin is a really good player.

7.5x8 is a slight overpay but he will probably live up to the contract.

That doesn't mean it's a good fit for the Flames at this time.

A d-core of Hanifin, Weegar, Andersson and Kylington is a solid group. A bit of a microcosm of the flames. Good throughout but no elite talent.

This D-core backed by Markstrom will stop us from bottoming out. We probably won't even get a top 10 pick.
But is it enough to be a contender? All I see is another 16th-22nd place team for the next few years if we re-sign Hanifin and keep Markstrom.

I think he'll get $7.5 million per from his next team, or close to it anyway. He might have to settle for a 7 year contract though if he can't come to terms with the Flames, either to stay or as a sign and trade.

Let's face it, there is a "Canada tax" and small market Canadian teams usually have to pay a little bit more. The options are to never sign a player into their UFA years, or pay the fee.

I agree with others. Hanifin's age and style of play makes signing him to an 8 year deal a reasonable risk. If we can keep him, we should, but ultimately, t's Hanifin's choice.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by blankall

He's only 27 and a defender. The last defenders the Flames signed past 34 (btw this barely gets Hanifin past 34) were Tanev and Giordano. Giordano won a Norris at 35.

Hanifin's style of play doesn't expose him to an early decline. Relatively low risk.

It’s rare that slowdowns or injuries don’t happen though. At $8M per year to take him to 35 is a bit much. Would much rather the assets in return at that cost.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Redrum

Already retired because they can't play anymore.

Simply paying guys for the back half of their career for what they’ve done versus what they’ll be doing. Neal, Lucic, Huberdeau, Kadri too. None have or are likely to age well. You’re always taking a large risk signing guys past their primes when they’ve reached their peaks at unrestricted free agency.

[Vinny01]

If Hanifin did sign the Flames would have a formidable top 4 next year assuming Kylington is back for good and progresses. This with a strong goaltending tandem and reworked forward group could have the team pushing for playoffs right away which appears to be the direction.

In my opinion the 7.5x8 deal won’t get it done anymore and his agent will push for 8 or more if he is willing to stay. I think the writing is on the wall and a parting of ways is where this is heading. Hanifin has done a great job keeping/raising his value that he should get the Flames a solid return similar to Lindholm

[memphusk]

Need the money to throw at Makar when he's up anyways.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

If Hanifin did sign the Flames would have a formidable top 4 next year assuming Kylington is back for good and progresses. This with a strong goaltending tandem and reworked forward group could have the team pushing for playoffs right away which appears to be the direction.

In my opinion the 7.5x8 deal won’t get it done anymore and his agent will push for 8 or more if he is willing to stay. I think the writing is on the wall and a parting of ways is where this is heading. Hanifin has done a great job keeping/raising his value that he should get the Flames a solid return similar to Lindholm

…they’d have a worse, likely more expensive top-4 and are already not a playoff team.

The top four of Weegar, Andersson, Hanifin, and Tanev is not good enough. I don’t think anyone can reasonably argue that Weegar, Andersson, Hanifin and Kylington would be an improvement.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

…they’d have a worse, likely more expensive top-4 and are already not a playoff team.

The top four of Weegar, Andersson, Hanifin, and Tanev is not good enough. I don’t think anyone can reasonably argue that Weegar, Andersson, Hanifin and Kylington would be an improvement.

Kylington is just starting to work his way back. They are also 22-15-4 since their horrible 2-7-1 start to the season which is a 96pt pace (my math sucks)

I think they would need to co tinie to rework the forward group but ya they are just on the bubble with the current team

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Simply paying guys for the back half of their career for what they’ve done versus what they’ll be doing. Neal, Lucic, Huberdeau, Kadri too. None have or are likely to age well. You’re always taking a large risk signing guys past their primes when they’ve reached their peaks at unrestricted free agency.

Hanifin isn’t past his prime.

You’ve taken 3 signings and turned them into 4. Neal wasn’t a failure because he aged badly - he was just a failure as a player. The other two - we’ll see. But then you ignore counter examples like Gio or Backlund.

Are the final years of a contract going to be worse? Sure. Is Hanifin’s ask too much? Maybe. But people should quit pretending there’s some hard and fast rule when it comes to players, contracts and longevity.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Simply paying guys for the back half of their career for what they’ve done versus what they’ll be doing. Neal, Lucic, Huberdeau, Kadri too. None have or are likely to age well. You’re always taking a large risk signing guys past their primes when they’ve reached their peaks at unrestricted free agency.

What a weird argument, don’t sign players past the age of 34 because they do not age well = do not sign Hanifin to a contract where 95% of the contract will take place when he is 34 or younger. He will not even really hit the age you are concerned about under this next contract.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Neal wasn’t a failure because he aged badly - he was just a failure as a player.

You seem to want things both ways.

James Neal is exactly the cautionary tale of what happens when you overpay for aging veterans in decline. Before the Flames signed him to that 5 year deal at 32 years old he was already declining. You can say "failure as a player" to delude things, but the reality is he failed in Calgary because he was falling off due to age. Sure he didn't handle it very well, getting old and losing a step is frustrating. But even after trading him to the Oilers, he had a hot streak and then hit a wall again because, you guessed it, his body was no longer up to it.

Same case for Lucic. The mind was there, but the body was not. Can't pay guys for what they think they are. And most players do not age like fine wines.