NHL Trade Rumors: Insider reveals Noah Hanifin's preferred destination

NHL trade rumors are running wild as insiders speculate about Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin's preferred destination. During an intermission segment on Saturday's "Hockey Night in Canada," insider Elliotte Friedman dropped a bombshell, revealing that Hanifin's top choice appears to be the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Friedman clarified that negotiations aren't straightforward, indicating ongoing efforts to finalize a deal.

"When it comes to Hanifin," Friedman said, "He's focusing on places, and they're focusing on places where he wants to sign with an extension, and the belief is that Tampa Bay is his number one choice. Now, I think if this was so easy to do, it would be done already."

Hanifin's potential move to Tampa Bay is significant, given the Lightning's stature as perennial Stanley Cup contenders. Tampa, known for their strong defensive core, would benefit from Hanifin's skills as a two-way left-shot defenseman.

Friedman, on the ongoing nature of the Noah Hanifin and Lightning trade possibilities, said:

"So everybody continues to work at it. We'll see how this goes over the next week. I believe there is a preferred destination, but if they can't make it work with the Lightning, we'll see how that develops and how Calgary and Hannifin proceeds."

With Tampa Bay emerging as Hanifin's preferred destination, discussions between the Flames and Lightning are sure to intensify as the March 8 trade deadline approaches.

Noah Hanifin's productivity amid Flames 4-3 win

Noah Hanifin played a pivotal role in the Calgary Flames' thrilling 4-3 comeback victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. Despite being down two goals in the third period, the Flames rallied, with Yegor Sharangovich scoring the tiebreaking goal in the final minute. Hanifin contributed an assist and fired two shots on goal during the game, showcasing his offense from the blue line.

Noah Hanifin's standout performance extended beyond his offensive contributions. He logged an impressive 26 minutes and 40 seconds of ice time, nearly two minutes more than his average, which shows his importance to the Flames' defensive lineup.

The Flames' win extends their season-high winning streak to five games, positioning them just five points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot.

Despite goals from Jonathan Gruden, Lars Eller and Jeff Carter, the Penguins couldn't hold off the Flames' relentless comeback.

The victory was especially significant for the Flames as it coincided with the retirement ceremony for legendary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff's No. 34 jersey. Kiprusoff, a key figure in Flames history, joins other franchise legends in having his number immortalized in the arena rafters.

The Flames look to host the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.