Dougie Hamilton is a great player. Truly one of the better players the Devils have rostered in this century. And Dougie means more than just the on-ice results. He was a widely coveted free agent. And against all odds and predications, Hamilton chose Newark to be his home. He ushered in a new era of Devils hockey, cultivating some of the most fun fans have had in years. But as the years on this contract march on, it might make sense to make a move.
The biggest hurdle to the Devils' near future is the cap ceiling. Currently, the Devils have just over $12 million in cap space, but once you add in a potential Luke Hughes extension and new contracts for Glass and Bastian, the Devils are suddenly in a very tough position to make meaningful changes to their roster. And after this past season and loss to Carolina in the playoffs, the need for goals and improvement to the forward core could not be made more clear.
This is where thinking about moving Dougie and his $9M AAV could make some sense. He is owed just over $14.5M for the next three seasons in actual dollars, making him a somewhat inexpensive RHD (Cordell). Dougie also still should have good value. This past year, he had a 40-point season, coming off the pectoral injury. But when watching the games, it does seem like he has lost a step. He has trouble with breakouts and hasn't been able to tilt the ice when playing with Brendan Dillon. The injury concerns, plus the potential for Dougie to become worse next year, make a trade slightly more possible.
Does it make sense to trade Dougie Hamilton now?
Another issue is the logjam on the right side. Johnny Kovacevic was extended this year, and with Brett Pesce, Seamus Casey, and Simon Nemec already on the roster, can the Devils really invest over $20 million on RHD (assuming a Nemec/Casey extension)? Of course, one could argue to move Nemec instead, but with what he showed in the playoffs, Nemec will likely be more valuable down the line.
A critique that could be raised is that there are other, more questionable contracts that the Devils could move, namely Ondrej Palat's and Erik Haula's deals. While this is true, is there really a market for these players? And is there a market where the Devils do not have to add assets in a salary dump?
What the Devils could get out of a Dougie trade is also quite Interesting. He only has a 10-team NTC, so the list of suitors could be large. One team in particular that could make some sense is the Kraken. They have shown a propensity to pay top dollar for aging free agents lately, and still have a ton of cap space. They also lack a true #1 RHD, and Dougie probably still has that status in the league. Another team could be Utah. While they have some fun players, getting a Hamilton-level talent could spark even more fan interest. Plus, with the Marino trade, there is some familiarity.
It would be sad to see Dougie Hamilton go, but it may be for the betterment of the team and can hopefully lead to success.