Before the trade deadline, should the Bruins seek Noah Hanifin or Chris Tanev?

Are the Calgary Flames accepting new players before the NHL trade deadline on March 8? If so, ought the Boston Bruins to call and inquire about some of their more seasoned defensemen? Before Wednesday night, when the Flames sold top-six center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in return for forward Andrei Kuzmenko, two prospects, and two 2024 draft picks (including a first-round pick), we hadn’t seen a significant deal before the trade deadline. With Lindholm gone, the Flames are five points out of a Western Conference playoff berth, but it’s reasonable to question whether Calgary may deal away additional players whose contracts are coming to an end.

The Bruins may be interested in two such players: defenseman Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev of the Flames. In July, both players will be eligible to become unrestricted free agents. It makes sense to trade them if the Flames are unable to extend either one in order to prevent a situation where they depart for nothing in the summer.

A physical d-man who can play a lot of minutes, kill penalties, block shots, clear traffic in front of the net, and play tough defensive minutes in the playoffs is exactly what the Bruins need most at the trading deadline. The Bruins are in dire need of another defenseman in this mold, particularly in light of Derek Forbort’s persistent injury that has kept him out of numerous games.

Tanev has 135 blocked shots, which puts him fifth in the league. He has no problem risking his life to block pucks from entering the goal. In addition to being a proficient penalty taker, Tanev leads the team in shorthanded ice time per game with an average of 2:39. The Flames have the third-best penalty kill percentage in large part because of him. The Bruins might relieve some of the pressure on Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, who have both put in a lot of playing time this season, by acquiring Tanev. Tanev’s highlight reels, such as the one below, are jam-packed with spectacular defensive plays and blocked shots.

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