Dougie Hamilton’s return means the Devils have a top-tier offensive defenseman for the playoffs
The Devils are thrilled to have their best offensive defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, back from a lower-body injury just in time for the playoffs. It’s hard to pick up where he left off after missing six weeks, but Hamilton looked like himself on a line with Brendon Dillon in the last regular season game.
Hamilton creates opportunities for his teammates from the blueline. He also has the ability to generate shots. Among defensemen, he is in the 97th percentile in mid-range shots on goal and 93rd percentile in long-range shots on goal. Hamilton has a plus-eight rating for the season. In 64 games, he blocked 84 shots.
Circling back to the importance of the Devils’ power play, Hamilton is dangerous on the man advantage. 15 of his 40 points this season were on the power play. His return means the Devils have a strong quarterback for both power play units, between him and Luke Hughes. Getting Hamilton back is huge.
These three players are the game changers for the Devils. If the Devils do beat the Hurricanes in the series, these three players will have big roles in the upset.