The New Jersey Devils’ season has been so astoundingly forgettable that it would make complete and utter sense for trade rumors to swirl around the team. The Devils have been lodged in sixth position in the standings and are currently struggling to regain their composure after a three-game losing streak.
Not too long ago, GM Tom Fitzgerald received a harsh reality check from former Pittsburgh Penguins boss Brian Burke. Now, his recent move has the potential to open yet another Pandora’s box, as the name of a veteran defenseman on the team has surfaced in trade rumors.
A Trade Could Be Imminent for New Jersey Devils D-Man, Dougie Hamilton
News has emerged that Dougie Hamilton, who is in the fifth year of his seven-year, $63 million contract with the Devils, is a likely candidate to be traded. Hamilton’s season has been far from spectacular. The veteran defenseman has accumulated 10 points in 40 games so far, spending an average of more than 21 minutes on the ice.
Speaking on the team’s defensive situation, Fitzgerald highlighted how Hamilton’s need has simply diminished now that Johnathan Kovacevic is back in the lineup.
“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, as Pierre LeBrun shared on his social media.
Hamilton’s agent, J.P. Barry, has noted that the developments around the veteran defenseman are invariably steeped in businesslike considerations at the moment, having little to do with his performance as such. “Dougie was informed today that he will be not be playing now that Kovacevic is back in the lineup. In our view, this decision is all about business rather than his game right now. Singling him out seems very calculated at this stage.”
Despite Barry’s insistence that the decision is far removed from Hamilton’s performance on the ice, the blueliner’s numbers this season tell a different story.
Hamilton has a 10-team trade list that could be a decisive obstacle in the path of a potential move. Still, Barry has stated that a trade outside of that condition is possible if the two parties can come together to reach a “mutually acceptable” outcome.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs were a team outside the defenseman’s 10-team trade list, the fact that he would be willing to consider destinations outside of it could be great news.
“The Leafs have been rumoured to be in the market for a puck-moving defenseman and the Toronto-born defenseman checks off plenty of boxes. It’s been a down year for the 32-year-old, who has just 5 goals and 10 points in 40 games, but he’s coming off a 2024-25 season, where he totaled 40 points in just 64 games,” Dean Chaudhry noted in his contribution to the Toronto Hockey Daily.
While the blueliner’s high cap hit could be a notable obstruction, Chaudhry explained how a solution could emerge from Morgan Rielly. “Acquiring him will be tough due to his $9 million cap hit, but perhaps they could find a way to convince Morgan Rielly to waive his NMC and reunite with his former head coach in Sheldon Keefe. It would be the easiest swap for both teams in regards to term and cap hit, as well as both players likely benefitting from a change of scenery.”
The Maple Leafs are unlikely to be the only team that would be interested in the veteran defenseman. What lies in the future for Hamilton remains to be seen.
