It hasn't been 24 hours since Noah Hanifin packed what he could and got on a plane to Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights' newest defenseman isn't wasting time getting acclimated, either.
Hanifin will make his Vegas debut tonight when the Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena (7 p.m., Vegas 34). The 27-year-old left-shot blue liner will skate on the top pairing with Alex Pietrangelo and get reps on the second power-play unit.
"It's the Stanley Cup champions. They know how to win," Hanifin said. "It's an unbelievable organization to be a part of."
Hanifin flew in from Tampa after being acquired in a three-team trade with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Flames received conditional first- and third-round picks, along with defenseman Daniil Miromanov, from the Golden Knights for Hanifin.
The Flyers received Vegas' fifth-round pick this year to retain some of Hanifin's salary. The Flames are retaining 50% of Hanifin's cap hit of $4.95 million, while the Flyers and Golden Knights retain 25% each.
It didn't seem the Golden Knights were in the market for a defenseman before Friday's trade deadline at noon PT, but that appeared to change when Alec Martinez was placed on injured reserve on Friday. Hanifin said everything came together rather quickly.
"I got a call from my agent and I knew they were involved, and about an hour later, I was traded here," Hanifin said. "My first reaction was excitement."
Hanifin arrived in Las Vegas at 10 a.m. with captain Mark Stone and others ready to pick him up from the airport. He joined the Golden Knights for morning skate 10 minutes late, but took part in drills immediately.
Hanifin said adjusting to the Golden Knights' defensive scheme won't be an issue, because the Flames ran a similar zone structure. Terminology and nuances aside, it should be a seamless fit.
"That's a big plus," coach Bruce Cassidy said, noting Calgary coach Ryan Huska went away from former coach Darryl Sutter's man-to-man scheme. "That's a little bit less teaching for myself and (assistant coach John Stevens) in that part. For a defenseman and the center, it's probably the biggest adjustment; how far to chase, how far to release people. Once you've gotten used to that, it's a lot easier to pick it up quicker. That's a benefit on our end."
The 6-foot-3 Hanifin, a Boston native, had 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 61 games with the Flames this season. Though he joins a talented defense group, he enters as the highest-scoring defenseman now on the team ahead of Pietrangelo (29) and Shea Theodore (28).
Hanifin is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer. The Golden Knights did not present an immediate contract extension to Hanifin at the time of making the trade, though discussions have already begun on that front, sources have told the Sun.
Hanifin said because of how much of a whirlwind the last day has been and with the focus on getting here, it's not something that's been on his mind.
The Golden Knights can sign Hanifin to a maximum eight-year extension.
"I think that stuff will get sorted out later," he said.
Hanifin will join newcomer Anthony Mantha in the lineup in this crucial game against the Canucks. Mantha, acquired in a trade with Washington on Tuesday, will skate on the second line with William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson.
The Golden Knights could use a strong game from their new acquisitions. They enter tonight 2-7-1 in their last 10 games with the Canucks 14 points ahead in the standings.
"I think just for me, tonight, just gonna go in, play hard, play simple, not try to do anything crazy," Hanifin said. "Just get my legs going and do what I can to help the team get two points."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on X at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.