The Toronto Maple Leafs are on an undeniable hot streak. The Leafs have won five of their past seven games, including a cinematic victory over the seemingly unstoppable Nathan MacKinnon’s Colorado Avalanche. The Leafs extended their point streak to 10 games with an OT victory over the Avs, a decisive statement that Matthews and company may truly be back now.
Amid this dizzying comeback, what are the chances that the Maple Leafs add Dougie Hamilton to their lineup? Trade rumors surrounding Hamilton have intensified lately, and according to an insider, the Leafs must pursue the defenseman, but with a stipulation.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Trade For Dougie Hamilton Makes Sense Under One Condition
It is fair to assume that things have turned rather sour between Hamilton’s camp and the New Jersey Devils management. Hamilton needs to be out of the Devils’ lineup with Johnathan Kovacevic’s return, and for GM Tom Fitzgerald, this is simply a part of the business. “Kovacevic coming back, gives our roster a spark we are looking for, and he was our best defensive defenseman all of last year. And that’s what we want with our lineup now. This is simply Dougie being the odd-man out with where our right-side is- fully healthy for the first time all year,” Fitzgerald noted, Pierre LeBrun shared on his social media.
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s agent, J.P. Barry, has noted that the veteran blueliner will be willing to venture outside his 10-team trade list if they can arrive at a creative solution. For the Maple Leafs, this could be good news. The Toronto front office should pursue the defenseman, but only if it comes with a retention clause.
“Assuming this came with serious retention, I’ll say yes. The Leafs haven’t had a defenceman who can really shoot the puck as a threat on the power play since maybe Jake Gardiner, and he wasn’t anywhere near Hamilton’s upside,” Justin Bourne wrote on the subject of a potential Leafs move for the blueliner in a recent contribution to Sportsnet.
Hamilton, who is currently in the fifth year of his seven-year, $63 million contract with the Devils, has had an underwhelming season, but his past numbers are a clear testament to his caliber. “When the six-foot-six defenceman is on, he’s an effective puck mover from the backend, where their current blue line is woefully one-dimensional past Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.”
Hamilton’s current AAV of $9 million is a significant deterrent, but if the Maple Leafs find a way around it, he could be a meaningful addition to the team and help bolster the Leafs’ defense.
I have entered it three times.,now what??