By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter / X @18Jxxx18
Over a decade ago, current New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton spent the first three seasons of his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins. Some might forget that the Bruins selected Hamilton in the first-round with the ninth overall pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Since 2021, the former Bruin has been a Devil. Today, rumors of Hamilton being traded by the Devils have circulated. According to recent reports from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Devils attempted to trade Hamilton to the San Jose Sharks this past offseason, but the trade got blocked by Hamilton. Now with an uncertainty in New Jersey, the Bruins shouldn’t waste their time trying to trade for Hamilton for a potential Bruins reunion.
Even with recently signing defenseman Jonathan Aspirot to a two-year extension, the Bruins could use some defensive help at the trade deadline for a playoff push. An ideal target could be a two-way defenseman, and that is where Hamilton could be a potential target. However, there are issues the Bruins would face if they were to trade for Hamilton.
A major issue with Hamilton is his salary. Hamilton will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028 with a cap hit of $9 million per year. What some may find shocking is that Hamilton is the highest-paid player on the Devils’ roster. For a 32-year-old defenseman, Hamilton’s salary would be too high for the Bruins to trade for. Even if the Devils were to retain some salary on Hamilton’s contract, it would still be too high a salary for the Bruins to take on until the contract runs out.
Along with his salary, Hamilton’s play for his contract hasn’t lived up to expectations recently. In the 2022-23 season, Hamilton recorded a career-high 73-point season. Since then, Hamilton’s best season was a 40-point season, which was last season.
This season, Hamilton has turned into a huge liability. In 41 games, Hamilton has recorded 12 points with a -4 rating. Hamilton recorded just one point combined in November and December. Hamilton has also taken 30 penalty minutes, which is the same amount of penalty minutes as he had last season while playing in 64 games.
Injuries are also an issue with Hamilton. Since the 2023-24 season, Hamilton has missed over 90 games combined. Along with injuries, Hamilton’s defensive game has seen a drop, with him delivering fewer hits and blocking fewer shots than he used to. Hamilton has also gotten more careless by giving the puck away a good amount this season.
It may be clear that Hamilton is declining at this stage in his career. Hamilton was a healthy scratch in the Devils’ game this past Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, but was inserted back into the team’s game two nights ago against the Minnesota Wild. Hamilton contributed strongly in the Devils’ 5-2 win over the Wild by recording two assists along with a +3 rating. It was Hamilton’s first multi-point game since Oct. 30.
Even after a much-needed big game after being a healthy scratch, a fresh start out of New Jersey may be needed for Hamilton, with pressure from Devil fans and living up to his contract. A reunion in Boston could potentially be an idea for Hamilton, considering he was a productive Bruin in his three seasons. Hamilton recorded 83 points with a +23 rating in 178 games as a Bruin. Hamilton was a member of the Bruins’ 2013 Eastern Conference championship team and the 2014 Presidents’ Trophy team.
After leaving Boston, Hamilton seemed to have had issues staying on the team he was playing for. Hamilton spent three seasons each with the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes, and is now having issues with the Devils in his fifth season with the team.
Hamilton may continue to have issues as the trade deadline gets closer, and the Bruins should stay away from a potential trade with the Devils.
Leave a Reply