After years of pipe dreams going into free agency, general manager Tom Fitzgerald has pulled off the big name that a good number of Devils fans wanted. Dougie Hamilton is officially the newest member of the team solidifying a defense core that has been lacking since 2012.
The deal is a massive one at $9 million per season for the next seven years. This was going to be the going rate for right-handed defensemen, so the Devils did not need to overpay ridiculously. Getting him for less than another good defender in Seth Jones is a nice touch. People may have differing opinions on this, but it seems Hamilton is currently the better player. With the top four now being Hamilton, Ryan Graves, Damon Severson, and Ty Smith, the Devils should be in the top half of the league defensively if all goes right.
Will Butcher was moved earlier in the day and after his amazing first season, it is a little disappointing to see him go. It was clear however that there was no room for him and the franchise saw little value after being beaten for a starting lineup spot two years in a row out of the gate. They gave away a 5th-round pick to dump him. Unfortunately, the Devils got nothing back which shows how the league views him now but I wish him the best of luck turning his career back around in Buffalo.
The last big signing the Devils made was the addition of 32-year-old goalie Jonathan Bernier. While my initial reaction was slightly negative and it is an overpay, the deal has quickly grown on me. For two years, the Devils needed a veteran who can play enough games to take the load off of Blackwood.
Bernier’s numbers have been respectable too, especially considering he has been on another lottery team. Over the last three seasons, he has played 35, 46, and 24 games while having a 3.03 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. These are better numbers than anyone has had backing up Blackwood so far and at the very least this should win the Devils a few more games. Another thing to keep in mind is his numbers could improve a fair bit as this iteration of the Devils defense is starting to look good on paper.