Latest Dougie Hamilton Intel: 3 Teams Labeled 'Serious Suitors' for Devils' Defenseman
The Dougie Hamilton drama with the New Jersey Devils is now at a boiling point. He was a healthy scratch on Sunday and we heard that his agent admitted the player might be willing to waive his no-trade for some of the teams not on his 10-team trade list.
The latest intel emerging on this Monday morning is that there are three teams now considered "serious suitors" with three other teams in the mix as well, per James Murphy in rg.org.
The Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Mammoth have all emerged as serious suitors.
San Jose and Utah in particular have circled back with New Jersey as talks accelerate, while Toronto remains involved despite tighter cap constraints.
The Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings have also been mentioned as possibilities by Murphy's source.
We heard from insider Elliotte Friedman that Hamilton had already vetoed a trade to the Sharks this past offseason. But that was a time when the Devils were still thought to be a strong contender this season, and the Sharks were still a 'rebuilding' team not yet ready to compete for a playoff spot.
Sharks & Devils have 'circled back with each other' on Hamilton trade talks
Of course, that's all changed now. The Sharks are suddenly an exciting up-and-coming contender, and in a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. At the same time, it's clear that the Devils are going in the other direction (at least this season), and are in need of a shake-up. Hamilton's $9 million cap hit (for two more seasons after this) is something they need to move on from.
Maybe Hamilton would be a lot more amenable to a trade to the Sharks at this time. That team is certainly hoping that's the case. Murphy reports that "the Sharks and Devils have circled back with each other."
Mammoth & Maple Leafs are 'serious suitors' for Hamilton
The Mammoth are another team on the rise in the West. And while they're not quite up there with the Big Three in the Central Division, they are in a virtual tie for a Wild Card berth. They, too, have been in contact with the Devils.
On the Leafs' front, they've been in need of a puck-carrying, top-pairing, power-play quarterback-type of d-man for a while now, and Hamilton would certainly fit the bill. But as noted above, their salary cap situation would make for some interesting cap callisthenics to fit in his $9M. Vegas would also have difficulty on the cap front.
Hamilton hasn't made trading him easy for the Devils, already vetoing a couple of potential deals. But the benching seems to have elevated things to another level.
"Talks were already underway to move Hamilton, and the healthy scratch on Sunday forced the Hamilton camp to become more flexible," writes Murphy.
The 32-year-old Hamilton has had a disappointing offensive year, with just five goals and five assists over 40 games.
