Updated Landing Spots for Flames Defenseman Noah Hanifin Amid NHL Trade Rumors

With the NHL trade deadline approaching on March 8, business is starting to pick up.

Not actual trades, but rather the discussion about potential deals. And one player who will figure prominently is Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin.

The super-talented blue liner is due to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he and the Flames are likely looking at a split.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Hanifin is likely headed to market. Finding talented potential rentals at the deadline is nothing new, and any team that acquires the 27-year-old will be getting an outstanding player.

While goal scorers are more fashionable when it comes to the trade deadline, a great defenseman can go a long way toward helping a contending team go deep in the playoffs.

Any team that lands Hanifin would also get first crack at trying to sign him to an extension, and Friedman noted that Canadian teams are interested but American clubs are more confident they can sign the Boston native to an extension.

We'll keep that much in mind while we peek around the league to see where the best fit for Hanifin might be, but we won't let that stop us from picking out a Canadian team that would also work out well.

Not only is Hanifin from Boston, but the Bruins could also stand to use a player of his caliber to boost their blue line.

We know the Bruins have been incredible once again this season, and they're not as desperate for help on defense as others.

However, behind Hampus Lindholm on the left side, they've got two other impending free agents in Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort. Hanifin would be a sizable upgrade on either of them.

With the pair becoming UFAs soon and their money coming off the cap, that would help set the table to open up the wallet to sign Hanifin to a potential extension.

Hanifin, who also went to Boston College before turning pro, would join Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy (not to mention Brandon Carlo), which would give the Bruins the kind of backline needed to better get a handle on the likes of Florida, Toronto, Carolina and the Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Lightning aren't newcomers when it comes to finding a way to make a deal happen. In fact, they're extremely good at pulling that off.

The Bolts are firmly entrenched in the playoff race, but they're going to have to go for it without Mikhail Sergachev who is out for the season after a serious leg injury.

There's no doubt you need top defensemen to go far, and Tampa Bay has Victor Hedman to lead the way. But things will get a lot tougher in the postseason without Sergachev.

Adding Hanifin would not only soften that blow but the possibility of signing him to an extension would also help ensure the Lightning don't fall back into the pack in the coming seasons.

The problem for Tampa Bay in making a deal, though, is finding the right pieces to send to Calgary to make it happen.

The Lightning won't fear giving up what they feel will get a deal done (see the Tanner Jeannot trade last year), but will they have what it takes to make the Flames happy and not put themselves behind the eight-ball as well?

The New Jersey Devils are getting their act together a bit now, but they've got goaltending issues to contend with at the deadline and could stand to stiffen up their defense as well.

New Jersey has been without Dougie Hamilton for a while, and it's also without Jonas Siegenthaler. While that has opened the door for rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec to show what they're capable of in the NHL (the former has shined all season), the Devils came into the season as one of a few Stanley Cup favorites.

There's pressure to get things right and general manager Tom Fitzgerald has his hands full sorting it out.

If, say, the Devils aren't able to land goalie Jacob Markstrom from Calgary, then perhaps keeping the phone line open to try to pry Hanifin away is what they can do to help make life easier for Vitek Vanecek.

Then again, maybe they can pull off another blockbuster deal around the deadline and land both Markstrom and Hanifin and let the rest of the East know they're beyond serious about reaching and going all the way in the playoffs.

If ever there was a Canadian team that bucks most trends and can make any player think twice about going to or staying in Canada, it's the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And if ever there was a team in the NHL that could most definitely use a lot of help on the blue line, it's also the Toronto Maple Leafs.

They will get Morgan Rielly back soon, but the Leafs also have all kinds of injuries piling up on defense that's causing them to dig deep into their AHL roster just to make sure everything is covered on the roster.

Toronto needs help desperately on the blue line and adding Hanifin to the equation would help settle things down tremendously.

The Leafs always have picks and prospects to work with when it comes to making trades, and they've got their first-round selection this year to ensure they can keep the Flames on the phone at least.

And if Toronto wants to extend Hanifin, TJ Brodie's contract is up after this season to potentially make that easier.

Whether the Leafs go for Hanifin or not, they must address their defense ahead of the deadline or else they're going to be sweating it out in the playoffs.

They might even have to sweat out making it there in the first place.

The New York Islanders have had their issues in defense all season thanks to injuries. And while they've got Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock back, they could use a high-end injection of a talent to go along with Noah Dobson.

The addition of Hanifin could help make them a lot stronger on the blue line.

While New York could stand to add more goals to its forward group, strengthening its defense would also ensure goalies Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov aren't perpetually under fire.

The normally stout Islanders have been much less so this season, but Hanifin would help them in a big way and give them another adept passer to help spring their forwards.

The big question here is: If the Isles acquire Hanifin, would they be able to lock him up long-term? They already have a lot of money dedicated to their payroll next season and if they signed him to a lengthy extension, he'd be the fourth blueliner locked up long-term joining Pulock, Pelech and Scott Mayfield.

And they will have to get something done with Dobson sooner than later, too.

You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts.

The Vegas Golden Knights don't exactly have a need for Hanifin. Their defense is already very good and they have a lot of their key players signed up for multiple years.

However, Alec Martinez is due to become a free agent this summer and that could open the door to getting Hanifin signed to an extension if they acquired him.

The Golden Knights' defense is loaded. With Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Martinez, Brayden McNabb, Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague already there, bringing in Hanifin would be a luxury move and likely cost them one of those names and a bunch of futures.

Vegas is a true wild-card operation, though. It will make whatever moves it feels will help the team out in the long run as well as in the short term. There's little doubt Hanifin would be a huge addition for them and provide a ton of help and stability. It probably doesn't hurt that he is good friends with Jack Eichel as well.

It's perhaps the least likely landing place for Hanifin, but it would the most fascinating one by far.