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Ranking the Rankings: Did ESPN Get New Jersey Devils Top 100 Rankings Right?

By Nick Villano

Apr 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid (40) celebrates with center Jack Hughes (86) and center Nico Hischier (13) after defeating the New York Rangers in game four of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid (40) celebrates with center Jack Hughes (86) and center Nico Hischier (13) after defeating the New York Rangers in game four of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (7): Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

Dougie Hamilton
ESPN Ranking: 49
Too High, Too Low, Just Right?: Too Low

Going into this ranking, we were sure this was be ranked “too high,” but then we saw who ESPN ranked ahead of Dougie Hamilton. First, can we talk about Seth Jones? While he isn’t ahead of Dougie Hamilton, he was ranked right by him at 52. Jones wasn’t the complete abomination he was two seasons ago, but he isn’t good. He’s still the worst contract in hockey.

The defensemen ahead of Hamilton include Jakob Chychrun (that seems like they ranked him based on his profile and not his play), Hampus Lindholm (good defenseman, but highly overrating his play on the best team in hockey), and Erik Karlsson (he won the Norris, so we get it, but he doesn’t play a lick of defense). We wouldn’t trade Hamilton straight up for any of those players, and you couldn’t pay us to take on Jones.

Hamilton was really good last season, and he looks like he’s even better to start this season. He has the league lead in goals for a defenseman (tied with Jaccob Slavin at three, but the Canes defenseman has two more games). Hamilton has been a catalyst in allowing the Devils to have two equal power play units, which has led them to nine power-play goals in four games. They are averaging more than two PP goals per game when they only averaged closed to one every two games last season.

Hamilton is well worth the $9 million Tom Fitzgerald gave him. He should be ranked a little higher on this list.

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