5 Defenseman To Target In Free Agency Not Named Dougie Hamilton

The New Jersey Devils are the number one team tied to Carolina Hurricanes free agent Dougie Hamilton. He’s by far the top free agent still on the market if one assumes that Alexander Ovechkin is re-signing in Washington. If the Devils sign Hamilton to a massive contract, then it would be one of the biggest free-agent signings in franchise history. It might be the best pure free agent contract they’ve ever given (not including college free agents).

However, it’s not like the Devils are the only team in the running. The Hurricanes are going to try and re-sign him, the Seattle Kraken will look to see if he wants to give the new franchise a shot, and a few Canadian teams will also make a run. So, the Devils need to make plans just in case the Hamiton thing doesn’t work out.

The New Jersey Devils have depth options in the free-agent market.

There are some other interesting defensemen on the market. There is nobody within a country mile of Hamilton in terms of talent and ability. Nobody will make what Hamilton is going to make on the free-agent market. Adam Larsson was one of the best players about to go to the market, and the Kraken were able to keep him away from free agency with a four-year deal that pays him $4 million per season.

The Devils will look to add more depth to the team if Hamilton falls by the wayside. They won’t sign someone just to sign someone, but they will want to add a veteran on the blue line. While the trade route might be better, there are some free agents who could make some sense.