4 Potential Suitors for Devils' Dougie Hamilton
The New Jersey Devils are reportedly talking to a couple of teams regarding Dougie Hamilton. Who could be a trade suitor for him?
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The New Jersey Devils have made a couple of free-agent signings, but their offseason may not be over yet. Whether it's acquiring players or shedding salary, there's probably more to come before September, and one of those moves could involve Dougie Hamilton, whose no-move clause shifted to a 10-team trade list on July 1.
On the season finale of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman mentioned Hamilton's name has been out there a bit and that the Devils have been talking to a couple of teams.
I stand by that the Devils should not rush into a Hamilton trade if the return is just for futures. There's no benefit to receiving solely picks and prospects, but I'd understand moving him if it can help the NHL roster for the 2025-26 season. Let's look at four potential destinations if the Devils trade Hamilton.
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman stated last week that he's in the market for a top-four defenseman and preferably a right-handed shot. The Red Wings have around $12.4 million in cap space with no free agents left to re-sign, so they could afford Hamilton's full $9 million cap hit.
The Red Wings don't have a ton of desirable trade targets, but there are some. A couple of fans have pointed him out to me in my replies on Twitter, but J.T. Compher could be someone who interests the Devils since they need a third-line center.
Compher has not lived up to his $5.1 million cap hit, but the Red Wings have been playing him higher up the lineup than they should be. His defensive impacts are still solid, and I can't hold it against him that he's not living up to his end of the bargain offensively since the Red Wings have been an offensive black hole for years.
The Devils also need a stop-gap option on defense because running Brett Pesce, Šimon Nemec and Seamus Casey on the right side of the defense would be problematic until Johnathan Kovacevic returns from knee surgery.
The Red Wings don't have much to offer in the way of right-handed defensemen, but could Erik Gustafsson interest the Devils? He's a left-handed shot but has thrived in a third-pair role on plenty of teams, and has just one year left on his contract at $2 million.
It would give the Devils a surplus of left-handed shots, but perhaps Luke Hughes could shift to the right side, where he played in the NCAA. It's not an ideal scenario, but it could be one the Devils consider.
Utah Mammoth
The Utah Mammoth have had a busy offseason, acquiring JJ Peterka in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres and signing Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev in free agency. Still, they have a couple of needs to address.
Among those needs is a right-handed, top-four defenseman. Former Devil John Marino is currently the Mammoth's first-pair defenseman, and their right side is relatively weak since they traded Michael Kesselring to Buffalo in the Peterka trade.
Unironically, I would take Marino back in a swap for Hamilton. His cap hit ($4.4 million) is half of Hamilton's, and his contract expires when Quinn Hughes is set to become a UFA in 2027. Marino did have a back injury that kept him out for months in 2024-25, so that's a concern, but he would fill the top-four void left by trading Hamilton (I'd also bet on him playing well in Sheldon Keefe's system compared to Lindy Ruff's, but that's a topic for another day).
Kesselring would have been an ideal stop-gap for the Devils in a Hamilton trade. That's obviously no longer possible, but the Mammoth have some other potential trade targets.
Nick Schmaltz is a year away from becoming a UFA. If the Mammoth don't want to pay him on a long-term deal, he could help fill the void in the Devils' top six as a wing or center. Hamilton for Schmaltz and a prospect or draft pick could be enticing, but this one is probably closer to a pipe dream.
The Mammoth have the need for a right-handed defenseman, so Hamilton is a fit, but do they have the necessary pieces the Devils need to net in a trade? Without Kesselring, it gets a bit harder to envision.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are/were reportedly in the market for a right-handed shot, as evidenced by their pursuit of Noah Dobson. The New York Islanders ultimately dealt Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, but the Blue Jackets were among the serious suitors for him.
I'm not sure how the Devils would feel about trading Hamilton to the team that finished just two points behind them in the Metro last season, but there may be a fit.
The Blue Jackets suddenly have a surplus of centers after acquiring Charlie Coyle from the Colorado Avalanche. Cole Sillinger's name has popped up in the rumor mill before, and I wonder if he's someone GM Don Waddell would consider parting with.
Sillinger had a solid 2024-25 season, finishing with 11 goals and 33 points in 66 games, a 41-point pace over 82 games. He's just 22 years old and would probably benefit from playing a third-line role behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
The one area where the Blue Jackets can't help the Devils is on defense, since they're short on right-handed defenders. Still, if Sillinger is part of a package that includes a pick and prospect, I'd likely consider it, given his age and upside.
It's also worth noting the Blue Jackets have close to $20 million in cap space, so absorbing Hamilton's contract would not be an issue.
San Jose Sharks
Last but not least is the San Jose Sharks. They still have $35 million in cap space and need to hit the floor, so they also could absorb Hamilton's full $9 million cap hit without any issue.
One player who could make sense for the Devils is Timothy Liljegren. He struggled to find consistent ice time under Sheldon Keefe in Toronto, but he's a solid bottom-four defenseman with puck-moving ability and decent two-way impacts:
The Sharks are reportedly looking to move Liljegren, so it'd make sense to include him in a package for Hamilton. The Devils also need help for their forward group, but that's where the Sharks lack the assets the Devils need.
Alex Wennberg would be a fine enough target as a third-line center, but I can't see the Sharks parting ways with their second-highest-paid player ($5 million cap hit). That'd likely put them below the floor again, even after taking on Hamilton's cap hit.
Though the Sharks don't have an NHLer who could help up front, a package around Liljegren, who has one year left on his deal at a cap hit of $3 million, a pick and a prospect would be fair value for Hamilton. At least the Devils get a stop-gap option on defense, and they could use the other assets to flip them for forward help.
Hamilton Must Net Some NHL Help
Am I being a little overzealous in my returns for Hamilton? Probably, but the Devils should not be aiming solely for a futures package if they're looking to move him.
Whether it's a third-line center, top-six wing, right-handed defenseman or some combination of the three, they need an NHLer or two in return. It would be malpractice to receive anything less and a failure on Tom Fitzgerald's part if he just nets picks and prospects for Hamilton.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Advanced Hockey Stats
Dougie Hamilton brings scoring, size, experience, time-on-ice, right-handedness, and expertise as power-play quarterback. I think moving him would leave a huge hole in the team.