The Spire

Billy Holmes ’25

Staff Writer

The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching as the deadline for trades to be made for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season is March 8th at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. There are a plethora of rumors and reports circulating regarding potential moves which could be made. This is always an exciting time of the season for hockey fans as front offices of Cup contenders, teams in contention for the first overall pick, and every team in between will consider making moves to align with their specific visions for their franchises. 

A team who appears to have some big decisions to make regarding this season’s trade deadline would be the Calgary Flames. Two of the Flames’ most prominent players, goalie Jacob Markstrom and Defenseman Noah Hanifin have been involved in trade rumors and could be on the move before the March 8th deadline. Markstrom, who currently has a 2.58 goals against average and a .914% save percentage in 36 appearances this season, has two years remaining on his contract at about $6 million per season. Three teams who could potentially pursue the 34 year old Swedish goaltender are the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, and Edmonton Oilers. Out of these three teams, the Devils appear to be the favorites to acquire Markstrom as they have shown strong interest in him in the past and are 26th in the league in goals allowed per game with a 3.47 GAA. However, the Hurricanes and Oilers might also look to find upgrades in net as both teams look to prepare for the playoffs.

The Flames also have to think about trading one of their top pairing defenseman in 27 year old Noah Hanifin. Hanifin, the 5th overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, has established himself as a respectable top 2 defenseman in the NHL over the past couple of years. However, it looks like a change of scenery could be on the horizon as he is currently on the last year of his deal, and despite being offered a contract extension by the Flames, Hanifin has not signed on for the long term. If Hanifin does not sign the long term contract extension and the Flames for some reason decide to hold on to him for the remainder of the season, Calgary will risk losing him to free agency and receiving nothing in return. On the other hand, potential suitors for Hanifin will wish to get a long term commitment from him regarding his willingness to sign a long term contract extension and play for them for numerous years.

When looking at teams who could potentially be in the market for a defenseman, two teams who come to mind are the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. After losing Mikhail Sergachev for the remainder of the season, the Lightning have been rumored to be searching for options to bolster their blue line for the postseason and acquiring Hanifin would certainly do that. For the Bruins, Hanifin, a Massachusetts native and former Boston College Eagle, would provide a long term upgrade over Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort, who are both set to hit free agency in the summer. In order to obtain Hanifin, both teams would almost certainly have to be willing to trade some pretty hefty and or valuable draft capital, such as a first round draft pick and potentially more.

When looking at potential forwards who could be on the move, two names which stand out are Jake Guentzel and Adam Henrique. Guentzel, a left winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins and 2017 Stanley Cup champion, is having a strong year with 52 points in 50 games and has been a key contributor for the Penguins since joining the club in 2016. Henrique, a 34 year old center for the Anaheim Ducks, is in his 14th year in the NHL and has 38 points on the season. Similar to Hanifin, both Guentzel and Henrique are set to become unrestricted free agents when the offseason comes about. With Guentzel approaching his 30s and Henrique close to reaching his mid 30s, both players most likely want to capitalize on their remaining years in the NHL and have legitimate shots to compete for the Stanley Cup for the remainder of their careers. The Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings have been linked to Jake Guentzel while both New York teams, the Rangers and Islanders, have expressed interest in trading for Adam Henrique.

Copy Edited by Hannah Torrey