Dougie Hamilton, the 32-year-old, 6-foot-6 Canadian defenseman for the New Jersey Devils, has been the talk of the NHL lately. After being a healthy scratch for their game against the Winnipeg Jets, trade rumours are continuing to circulate.
Hamilton, who is in his fifth season with the Devils, has been a force on defense. Back in 2021, he signed a 7-year, $63 million contract (9 million yearly) with New Jersey after playing three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. Prior to this, he spent three seasons with the Calgary Flames and debuted with Boston, playing for three years as a Bruin.
In a span of 14 seasons, Dougie has 156 goals, 358 assists, and 514 points. As a Devil, he has scored 50 goals and had 124 assists, making a total of 173 points. His best season was the 2022-23 season with the Devils, where he had 22 goals and 52 assists for 74 points and finished sixth in Norris trophy (NHL’s best defenseman) voting.
Dougie has a legacy in New Jersey, where he developed his program, Dougie’s Buddies with RWJBarnabas Health, to create lifelong memories and experiences for children going through difficult times. Dougie has also upheld his nickname, Admin, after a lighthearted rumour of him running the NJDevils Twitter account was spread online. He has also been the face of Devils schedule reveals, memes, and other funny social media posts.
Despite all this, allegedly due to his performance, cap space, and business reasons, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald thinks it’s time for a change. Dougie Hamilton is officially on the chopping block.
Although it has not been publicly released, his agent has previously stated that he had a 10-team no-trade list. Recently, he gave an update that Dougie is willing to work outside of it to find a mutual agreement on a trade and contract. He previously announced that he blocked a trade to the San Jose Sharks this past summer, confirming one spot on the list. After also blocking a potential trade attempt for the Devils to acquire Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver Canucks likely also take up another spot on this list.
A variety of opinions and thoughts about a potential new team for Dougie have been spread for the past couple of days, yet a top contender keeps making an appearance online: The Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are looking for a strong presence on the D-line and have their eyes on Hamilton. Despite not making many moves this far into the New Year, Dougie could be the very first on their list.
Although the Leafs are looking into a potential trade with the Devils, cap space is a growing concern. Already upholding Austin Matthews $13.25 million contract, along with William Nylander’s that is close behind with $11.5 million, space for Dougie’s salary is limited. This leaves room for other teams with more cap space, such as the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild, to step in and make a deal.
With salary caps, the trade deadline, and his 10-team no-trade list, agreeing on a fair transaction has been a struggle for many teams looking to add Dougie to their roster. Will Dougie Hamilton be heading back to his hometown in Toronto, Canada, or will another team step up with a reasonable trade? One thing is for sure, Devils’ fan-favorite Dougie Hamilton is going to be greatly missed in New Jersey.
