Pucks and Pitchforks
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Everyone Helped New Jersey Devils Get Dougie Hamilton On Friday

By Nick Villano

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton (19) bounces the puck on his stick before the game against the Dallas Stars at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton (19) bounces the puck on his stick before the game against the Dallas Stars at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Jersey Devils have surprisingly been named as a suitor for top free agent (outside Alexander Ovechkin) Dougie Hamilton. Most Devils fans don’t believe it’s even a possibility, but more and more analysts say Tom Fitzgerald is directly in this negotiation. Hamilton would bring the Devils a major right-handed defenseman to a team that desperately needs someone on the top line. If the Devils could match Hamilton with Ty Smith for the next five-to-seven years, it would actually give the Devils one of the best right sides in the league. No, seriously. Hamilton, Damon Severson, and P.K. Subban would be, albeit expensive, one of the best right-handed defensemen trios in the NHL.

It seemed almost impossible that the Devils would be in on Dougie Hamilton before Friday came along. There were too many teams with money and a need for a right-handed defenseman. The Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks were two of the major contenders for Hamilton. Now, it’s hard to figure there’s any chance they can still be in the sweepstakes.

The Philadelphia Flyers traded too much for Rasmus Ristolainen. One could say they traded a King’s Ransom for Ristolainen, but we haven’t gotten to the Seth Jones deal. The Flyers traded the 13th-overall pick in tonight’s NHL Draft as well as a 2nd-round pick in 2023 and defenseman Robert Hagg. Ristolainen is terrible. However, it likely takes the Flyers out of Hamilton’s contention.

The Chicago Blackhawks then traded for Seth Jones. They sent the Columbus Blue Jackets two 1st-round picks, a 2nd-round pick, and Adam Boqvist for Jones, and then they are giving him a massive contract. Reports say it’s seven years. They are out of the Hamilton sweepstakes.

So who is left? Carolina is obviously the major factor in negotiations, but they wouldn’t have let him go to market early if they weren’t way off. The two sides seem to be apart on money, and the Hurricanes just traded away Jake Bean for a 2nd-round pick. They made some strange moves this season which include losing their starting goalie and Calder Trophy candidate Alex Nedeljkovic. Can they really be seen as someone who is looking to spend major money?

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Seattle is probably the biggest contender to the Devils. Either way, the Kraken don’t seem like they want to be major contenders right away, and the defense actually isn’t that bad. Gabriel Landeskog seems like a big fish free agent that makes more sense.

Are the Devils there favorite? That seems improbable, but who else could it be? The Devils are the favorite to get the biggest free agent on the board. If Hamilton signs with the Devils, he immediately becomes the best free agent signing in Devils history that wasn’t on the team the season before. It’s going to be an exciting few days, and the Devils are still in the thick of things for Vladimir Tarasenko.

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