The Edmonton Oilers’ 2023–24 campaign has gotten off to an absolutely terrible start. Their struggles have mostly come from their struggles in goal and on defense, and after a 2-8-1 start, they will need to find answers. The NHL’s top insider Elliotte Friedman, who also hosts the 32 Thoughts podcast, has speculated that the Oilers may be interested in three Calgary Flames defensemen if they want to shake things up a little and add a new face. Those three defensemen—Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin—could all be good additions.
Both the Flames and the Oilers have had a difficult start to the season, but it appears that they are both open to making adjustments to try and save their campaigns. Although it’s still early and anything can happen at any time, both of these teams have performed far worse than many league fans had anticipated. The Oilers could gain as a team if they make an effort to add a new player. However, should they choose to offer a new contract to any new acquisition, they must exercise caution to avoid overpaying in either the trade package or the extension. After all of that, here is a quick synopsis of each of the three players.
Boston, Massachusetts-born Hanifin is a left-handed defenseman with a $4.95 million cap hit with the Flames. The Carolina Hurricanes selected him fifth overall in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft; however, he was traded to the Flames prior to the 2018–19 campaign. In his first season of eligibility, he joined the Hurricanes in the NHL, where he scored four goals and added 18 assists for a total of 22 points through 79 games. He spent his draft year in the NCAA with Boston College, where he scored five goals and added 18 assists for 23 points through 37 games.
Hanifin has played in 609 games during his nine seasons in the NHL, totaling 244 points with 50 goals and 194 assists. He has made a name for himself as a capable, intelligent, and physically fit two-way defenseman in a variety of situations. He is a prospective unrestricted free agent who appears to have had a blowout contract negotiation with the Flames. He could be a terrific addition to Edmonton’s blue and orange.
Hanifin might be the perfect target for the Oilers due to his size, experience, and capacity to play a large number of minutes each game. He could improve the performance of the defense and infuse new energy into the team’s starting lineup.
Tanev, a right-shot defender from East York, Ontario, is currently under contract with the Flames for $4.5 million. Despite not being selected in the draft, he made his Vancouver Canucks debut in 2010–11, appearing in 29 games and recording one assist. His rookie campaign was split between the Canucks and the Manitoba Moose, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Through 39 games with the Moose, he had one goal and eight assists for nine points.
During the course of his 14-year career, Tanev has participated in 728 games, averaging 0.24 points per game with 31 goals and 141 assists. Like Hanifin, he has made a name for himself as a reliable, strong two-way defenseman in a variety of circumstances.
Another player who could help the Oilers is Tanev, who is more concerned with the defensive end of the court than he is with getting up and creating chances for the offense. There are plenty of offensive-minded defensemen on the Oilers, so Tanev’s change of pace might be just what the blue line needs.
