Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin have a lot in common: they both came over from Carolina in the same deal, they’re both young, and they’re both restricted free agents. What separates them is that final parallel, though. While both Lindholm and Hanifin need contracts, there’s a decent chance their new deals with the Flames will look significantly different.
At least for me, one player seems like a really good fit for a long-term deal (6-8 years) while the other seems more in line for a bridge contract of two or three years. I say this for a number of different reasons; age, experience, track record, and ceiling all factor in.