A lot of analysts, fans and onlookers had big expectations for the 2020-21 Calgary Flames, and one of the reasons was because of the team’s crop of young defensemen. But despite their promise, their young defenders collectively didn’t quite take the big steps many expected for them.
Here’s a snapshot of the team’s under-25 blueliners and how they’ve done this season.
Noah Hanifin
The 24-year-old Hanifin had the best season of his Flames tenure and one of the better on-ice seasons of his entire pro career to this point. Heading into this campaign, Hanifin was considered by many to be a really effective secondary defender whose occasionally defensive deficiencies could be covered up by playing with a smart two-way partner.