Calgary Flames blueliner Noah Hanifin has been central in a lot of league-wide trade speculation since the off-season began, owing in no small part as his status as a player entering the final year of his current deal. Speaking on Sportsnet 960 on Thursday morning (and later tweeting it as well), Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Noah Hanifin has informed the Flames that he’s likely not re-signing with the club when his deal expires in 2024.

Here’s Seravalli:

Hanifin joined the Flames at the 2018 NHL Draft via a five-player trade with Carolina which also saw Elias Lindholm become a Flame. In five seasons with the club, Hanifin has emerged as a really good blueliner. He’s formed two strong tandems – alongside both Chris Tanev and Rasmus Andersson – and has been relied upon strongly in all game situations.

Hanifin’s six-year deal carries a $4.95 million cap hit, and is set to expire on July 1, 2024, making him an unrestricted free agent. His looming free agency, and comments from new general manager regarding asset management, have fuelled speculation that Hanifin could be moved this off-season. Hanifin is an important component of the Flames team and would be tough to replace, but he would also yield a fairly strong return if traded in the open market.

Hanifin’s been a fixture on the Daily Faceoff trade board this off-season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated a league-wide expectation that he’ll be made available, while The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun noted Hanifin is “likely headed for a trade.”

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.