The New Jersey Devils and head coach Sheldon Keefe are planning to bench Dougie Hamilton should everything go according to plan for them, but J.P. Barry, Hamilton's agent, has something to say about that.
On Saturday, Barry alleged in a statement to TSN and The Athletic NHL insider Pierre LeBrun that the Devils are making a "calculated" business move to keep Hamilton out of the lineup, given that they need to make a move to create cap space, and even added that the Devils have been trying to trade Hamilton dating back to the 2024 draft.
“Dougie was informed today that he will (not be) playing now that Kovacevic is back in the lineup. In our view, this decision is all about business rather than his game right now. Singling him out seems very calculated at this stage," Barry said. "Dougie has a 10-team trade list, and there have been efforts to trade him going back to the draft last year. We have made it clear to the Devils that we will consider teams outside our list and other creative ways to get to a team that is mutually acceptable."
The key takeaway from Barry's statement is that Hamilton and his camp are open to teams outside that 10-team list if a deal is suitable for both parties. So, maybe not a pure cap dump location like San Jose or Chicago, but another team at least making an effort to win games and compete.
At the same time, though, if that really is the case, it is an abject failure on the part of the Devils for allowing a toxic situation to get to this point, forcing a big-time agent like Barry to come forward and blast the team.
This situation is one that has been foreseeable for several months now, and it's worth noting that Barry also represents defenseman Simon Nemec, who is a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
If the Devils cannot navigate their next steps carefully, it could mean disaster.