3 reasons why you should be excited about Noah Hanifin in 2024-25

The Vegas Golden Knights hope to hoist another Stanley Cup in the next few years. They added Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin last season to go all in on their roster. The goal? Repeat as Stanley Cup champions, which ultimately fell short at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Life is unfair at times, isn't it?

While that goal was tarnished in 2023-24, the duo will return to Vegas for their first full seasons together. They serve many purposes for the franchise, including extra offense and strength on the man advantage. Sometimes, it takes some guts to make bold moves and push your team to Stanley Cup contention.

It's something Kelly McCrimmon understands, whether it's moving on from a legendary goaltender like Marc-Andre Fleury or acquiring Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. These moves have made the Golden Knights competitive, yielding a Stanley Cup in the process. It also set the standard for how the organization is run, with Bill Foley expecting championships in Las Vegas.

Honestly, can the Raiders and Athletics say this? Have they acquired a big name like Hanifin or Hertl to go all-in on their championship windows? The Raiders have dealt with mismanagement for years, jading their passionate fanbase. As for the A's? John Fisher owns them.

But let's steer away from terrible baseball owners and focus on the positives, starting with Hanifin. The defenseman won't have you pay for his new stadium, nor will he move the Vegas Golden Knights elsewhere. Like Tomas Hertl, he's a "fun must be always" guy, so fans can rely on him. Here are three reasons why that's the case.

Noah Hanifin adds more to the power play like Tomas Hertl

Last season, Hanifin was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Golden Knights, bringing in another solid offensive blue-liner. He could work well with any line and contribute regularly. It's a part of his charm as a player, where he goes above the call to produce. That's especially true on the man advantage, where he aided the unit during his Vegas tenure.

He scored two goals and three assists on the power play in 19 games in 2023-24. If he played a full season with Vegas, that would end up being roughly nine goals and 13 assists on the man advantage. That's sizable production for a historically weak unit, which would benefit from having his production. That's especially true with an offensively-minded defenseman entering his first full year in Las Vegas.

Kelly McCrimmon has done his best to upgrade the power play unit since he became the general manager in 2019. It's been tough keeping the right pieces in place while acquiring younger talent. However, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl should provide the necessary production for the unit's success in 2024-25.

Hanifin makes the defensive group much deeper

Acquiring Tomas Hertl gave the Golden Knights unrivaled strength down the middle. With a group consisting of Jack Eichel, Hertl, William Karlsson, and Nicolas Roy, the team could provide ample scoring for any line. The same can be said for the defenseman group, where adding Hanifin makes the group much better. He's already looking good during training camp, making countless drills look easy.

If the Boston native does play with Nicolas Hague as he has during the preseason, it'll provide a bit of balance within the pairing. The former Flames star is more offensively focused, relying on setting up plays and acting as a wingman. Hague is a bigger player who can dish out hip checks and obstruct the attack, turning him into an imposing figure. If Hanifin gets more involved defensively, he can make the unit much tougher.

Acquiring a big-name blue-liner isn't something the Vegas Golden Knights are unfamiliar with. They signed Alex Pietrangelo in 2020, giving them an elite defender who was complimentary on offense. While Noah Hanifin might not be the top-notch defensive player Pietrangelo is, he does provide the same offensive production, if not, more. That's what Vegas desires as he plays his first full season in his new home.