Noah Hanifin contract: Full breakdown of Vegas Golden Knights defenseman eight-year contract extension

The Vegas Golden Knights have settled a contract extension with defenseman Noah Hanifin.

The deal spans eight years with an annual average value of $7.35 million as confirmed by NHL insider Pierre LeBrun. The extension amounts to $58.8 million, with $29.4 million paid out in signing bonuses dispersed over the first four years.

The deal also includes a full no-trade clause for the initial six years, with a 15-team modified no-trade clause for the final two seasons.

The new extension represents a hefty raise from his previous annual earnings of $4.95 million under his 2018 contract with the Calgary Flames which included a single $3 million signing bonus.

Hanifin arrived in Vegas during this year’s trade deadline with both the Flames and Philadelphia Flyers retaining salary. Set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA), Hanifin was expected to garner significant attention from numerous clubs looking for top-four, right-shot defensemen.

With a deal in place, the question becomes how Vegas will integrate Hanifin’s new deal within their current Salary Cap structure, where they currently have about $750k in available Cap space.

Things get tricky when considering the Knights' roster has several pending UFAs, including Jonathan Marchessault, Anthony Mantha, and Alec Martinez. Vegas will need to work some Cap magic to fit Hanifin’s salary and retain these key players.

The extension arrives as welcome news for the Knights as they look to lock down a playoff spot. Currently holding the second wildcard spot in the West, they hold a three-point lead over the St. Louis Blues with a game in hand. Furthermore, they trail the Los Angeles Kings by a single point for third place in the Pacific Division.

Catching up to the Kings is possible, considering three of their last four games are against non-playoff teams.

In the meantime, the Golden Knights are banking on Noah Hanifin to anchor their blue line for the next eight seasons.

Mutual Interest In Noah Hanifin Staying with the Golden Knights

The news of today’s contract extension should come as no surprise. Rumors had circled for weeks regarding the likelihood of Noah Hanifin remaining with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Insider Elliotte Friedman reported on “32 Thoughts” that it wouldn’t be shocking if Hanifin stayed in Vegas. Additionally, fellow insider Luke Fox stated that there was indeed,

"Mutual interest."

It seems that the rumors that had been circulating earlier this season have now come to pass. Speculation had suggested that Hanifin could sign with the Boston Bruins or the New Jersey Devils in the offseason with the Toronto Maple Leafs also rumored to be making a significant effort to acquire the defenseman at the deadline..

With the extension behind him, Noah Hanifin can turn his focus to the playoffs. The Knights are currently set to face the Dallas Stars in the first round, but before that, they must lock up a playoff spot. Their upcoming game against the Minnesota Wild on Friday night is crucial as they aim to move one step closer to defending their title.