NHL Trade Rumors: Dougie Hamilton Projected for Reunion with Hurricanes

New Jersey Devils defenceman Dougie Hamilton

Dougie Hamilton's future with the New Jersey Devils is up in the air. That's putting it mildly. The team was actively trying to trade him earlier this season to open up some cap room.

There have been many teams linked to a potential deal for Hamilton, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. But insider Chris Johnston in The Athletic projects a more familiar landing spot for the big, puck-moving offensive defenseman. He predicts Hamilton going back to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Hamilton enjoyed three productive seasons in Raleigh, N.C., before getting a free-agent offer he couldn’t refuse from the Devils in 2022. However, the relationship ended on good terms, and there would be obvious comfort from both sides with a reunion.
Acquiring Hamilton as a mildly distressed asset also fits the profile of how the Hurricanes tend to do business.

Hamilton is a "distressed asset" due to a down season in Jersey. With just 21 points in 52 games, he's on pace for his worst offensive season in well over a decade.

But the Canes, as Johnston notes, have good memories of Hamilton in his time there from 2018 to 2021. He posted 42 goals and 121 points in 184 games, with a plus/minus rating of +50. He gobbled up an average of 21:30 of ice time per night over those three seasons.

Granted, he's not a 25-to-27-year-old anymore, but at 32, isn't exactly over the hill, either.

Hamilton does have two more years remaining on a $9 million cap hit, but the Hurricanes have plenty of cap space.

And while there are bigger names up front that GM Eric Tulsky might be eyeing for his usual big swing at the deadline, Johnston doesn't see that as an impediment in a potential Hamilton reunion.

"While Carolina may not have a glaring hole in its lineup that needs patching, the Hurricanes are a team forever looking for upgrades that make sense wherever they can find them."