That isn’t necessarily true. Hanifin is a pending RFA and with his age and pedigree he’d be looking at a deal higher than Krug’s AAV and with more term. Given they are committed to Slavin now they could easily view Krug as an offensive upgrade on Hanifin who will cost them less and give them walk away potential in a few years. So they could easily take him back in a Hanifin deal if the other pieces are attractive. Prospects, picks, whatever.
IMO if the Bruins could get Hanifin for Krug/prospect/2nd rounder, for example, I definitely do that. I’m not looking to move Krug nor do I think I’m underrating him, but I do think Hanifin is a more valuable asset when you consider age, size, health, etc. Plus he’s also a guy who can play QB on a PP. He’s not Krug in that respect, but he’s no slouch either. The other variable to consider is the offense Krug produces and what that means for his next deal, weighed against his actual defensive ability. If he stays at his level now, are you gonna be willing to pony up in two years? He strikes me as a risk in that sense.