After making the postseason this year but taking an earlier exit than most hoped, the New Jersey Devils and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald are looking for ways to get better.
This year, injuries took hold of the Devils' key players this past season which caused limitations in terms of production. Thus, it's obvious to any fans of the National Hockey League that the New Jersey front office likely understands that they might need to add more talent to the roster. This would of course come with roster moves as well.
So, who could the Devils be thinking of getting rid of?
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Devils have actually already begun dangling star defender Dougie Hamilton in trade talks.
What is Dougie Hamilton worth in a trade?
Hamilton still has three more seasons left on his contract (a seven-year, $63 million contract signed in 2021 and set to expire at the end of the 2027-28 season), and he is scheduled to make $9 million each year. The Devils could be looking to get off the 32-year-old's contract and could likely net a strong return for his services.
Last season, Hamilton (6'6", 230 pounds) scored nine goals and 31 assists over 64 games. His production has continued to drop due to injuries, including a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2023-24 season early. As such, it may be time for New Jersey to look elsewhere on defense.
One of the main obstacles in the way of trading the Ontario, Canada native and acquiring his $9 million cap hit is his 10-team no-move clause. According to Friedman's report, Hamilton has already submitted his list of blocked teams, thus restricting the Devils' ability to freely negotiate with all interested parties.
It is worth noting that this situation already worsens the already limited number of teams (22 theoretically), but they may have both the cap space and the desire to take on a player like Hamilton.
Back to the question of how much he's worth, Hamilton is a player who is already in his 30s and whose career high of 50 points was all the way back in 2016-17. So, he's not worth as much as people would think but there is a growing need for defensemen on the market.
Still, Fitzgerald should work a trade that involves shipping off Hamilton in exchange for at least multiple upgrades at forward. It makes sense for the Devils to work with a team to find a fix through their surplus.
The Devils still need a 3C and a top-six winger. Those should be the targets in any Hamilton trade. There isn't much use in turning Hamilton into cap space and futures this late into the offeason. The Devils want to be contenders, and they need players that can help them this season.