Any team giving up what it would take to pry Hanifin loose from Carolina is doing so for what he could be, not what currently is. He’s shown just enough at the NHL level to justify a high return.
NHL.com - Stats
Small sample size, but since being unshackled from Tennyson/Dahlbeck/Murphy, Hanifin has gone to a new level offensively, outscoring the likes of Byfuglien, Yandle, Keith, Ekman-Larsson, as well as fellow 2015 draftees Provorov and Werenski, since the Hainsey trade. For a player that was said to have a lower offensive ceiling by some coming into the league, his development has been encouraging, despite an unexpectedly raw defensive game. If and hopefully when his defensive game matures, look out.