I don't know why so many people are upset Fox was traded. The chance of him signing with the Flames has not changed since the trade. He is going to finish his degree at Harvard and test the market. Theoretically, we could still sign him but he is going to sign with the team that pays relatively the best and has room for him to play in the NHL. That's the risk with college players.
On an individual basis Hamilton is currently much better then Hanifin, however, Hanifin is much younger and has the potential to reach Hamilton's level. On a team basis, not including potential locker room issues, I don't think Hamilton was a good fit. In particular, I think he took away from Gio's game substantially unless you truly believe Gio had regressed at 33. Splitting Gio and Brodie was always in my mind one of Glen's bonehead decisions as the pair dominated together and complimented each other far better than Dougie + Gio. While I do think Hanifin's potential might be oversold, at least he is excited to be here, has potential to reach Hamilton's level, and the discrepancy in skill level allowed us to get a player of Lindholm's calibre for Ferland.
Let's be real here, Lindholm is a far superior piece to Ferland. No offence to Ferland, but he is one of the reasons we missed the playoffs. He is a third liner who had a great playoff series against a rival who managed to get carried by our top players last season and was invisible for most of the season. Not only that, he often took away from Gaudreau or Monahan (whom I think more so in particular) taking a bad shot or giving up the puck. He was so frustrating to watch on the top line. Having a younger perennial 40 point player with much higher potential to blossom on the top line is a steal. Furthermore, after next year Ferland was going to demand way more than the Flames would likely be willing to pay. The only concern is whether the team has gotten too soft losing Ferland's weight but I think this could be fixed with the right UFA signing.
In conclusion, I think this was a fair trade. No team completely fleeced the other, however, if either Lindholm or Hanifin blossoms into what their potential could be, I truly think this will be regarded as a steal for the Flames. From a non-trade perspective, this team needed a shake up after such a disappointing season with underachievement. This substantially shakes up the core and dynamic of the team without blowing it up. I am happy with this deal.