Dougie Hamilton, Devils Trade Could Hinge on a Pair of Wild Cards

One of the more coveted positions in the NHL is a right-handed defenseman. Especially one that could move the puck and accumulate points from the blueline. That’s why New Jersey Devils defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, is in the rumor mill as a potentially available defenseman. However, a Devils trade involving Hamilton could hinge on a few other available names at the position, which is likely why we haven’t seen any action yet out of New Jersey.

Dougie Hamilton‘s name first came up after the Devils’ July 1st additions transpired.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald explained his No.1 priority as of July 2nd is to get Luke Hughes under contract. That has yet to materialize itself, too. Perhaps, this is all connected.

Fitzgerald stated he and Hughes both agree they want the 21-year-old defenseman to be a Devil long-term. If that is a max contract, there is a limited amount of time in which the Devils could lock Hughes down to an eight-year contract. As part of the NHLs new Collective Bargaining Agreement, re-signed contracts with a current team are reducing from eight years to seven as of September 16th, 2026.

Thus, an eight-year deal for Hughes will certainly come with an average annual value north of the $7 million mark, and likely closer to $8 million. According to Puckpedia, the Devils have $6,906,667 in cap space. Therefore, something has to happen between now and the start of the season to clear cap space if Hughes inks an eight-year contract.

The easy answer is to offload Ondrej Palat‘s contract, which carries two more years at $6 million per year in a Devils trade. Yet, it’s Hamilton’s name in the rumor mill as the result of his contract downgrading from full no-move, to a 10-team trade list. Couple that with a strong blueline that has some young talent perhaps ready to grab hold of a roster spot full-time, and the Devils may have the flexibility to move Hamilton.

Yet, the market is held up. There are a few wild cards who are knowingly on the trade market that have yet to be traded as well. Perhaps, one or both are the road block that once one domino falls, so could the rest.

So who is holding up the market?

Rasmus Andersson—Calgary Flames

It is very, very likely that a Devils trade hinges on the future of Calgary Flames defenseman, Rasmus Andersson. The fellow right-shot blueliner has been the subject of trade speculation for a few seasons now. However, this summer could finally be the one where the Flames move the Swedish defenseman.

Why?

Well, he’s in the final year of a six-year contract, and the Flames are—like most teams trying to get back into contention—retooling. Plus, he’s atop most of the NHL trade boards this summer, and is said to be looking for a new environment.

Andersson’s $4.5 million cap hit is certainly desirable, especially for a defenseman who assumes No.1 duties in a rising cap era.

The cap hit alone is enough to give a team incentive to prefer Andersson to Hamilton as a defenseman who brings similar offensive production, but is perhaps a bit more defensively responsible.

Plus, Andersson is in the prime of his career as a 28-year-old, as opposed to Hamilton, who is going into his age-32 season.

Certainly, Hamilton does have a 74-point campaign under his belt, which some might see as more valuable than Andersson’s career-high of 50. Yet, Hamilton didn’t reach the 70-plus point mark until his age-29 season, which Andersson is heading into in 2025-26.

Andersson has a six-team no-trade list. Yet, there’s high interest in Andersson and there can only be one winner if he’s dealt. That means there will be plenty of others who could circle back to the Devils in their pursuit of a right-handed defenseman.

Erik Karlsson—Pittsburgh Penguins

As opposed to Andersson, Erik Karlsson is in a similar, if not, exactly the same boat as Hamilton.

He’s an aging right-handed defenseman who has the offensive talent only few blueliners possess at hockey’s highest level. Yet, his defensive game is where he lacks, and it’s not like it’s getting any better heading into his age-35 season.

Attach an $11.5 million cap hit to him for the next two seasons, and he becomes even less desirable than Hamilton in terms of dollars. Yet, in terms of talent, he has the most upside on offense and puck-moving ability.

The fact of the matter is, Karlsson could end up having to wait in line for Hamilton in a potential trade.

However, there is one factor that could push Karlsson’s timeline up.

Karlsson has been part of three-team trade speculation for a while. His bloated cap hit could get a third party involved, perhaps someone like the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, or Chicago Blackhawks, who all have over $20 million in cap space.

If an inquiring team values Karlsson’s arsenal to Hamilton’s, and could get him at a discount in a multi-team trade, it would make sense that he’s moved before Hamilton.

Yet, there is one issue Kyle Dubas faces in moving the Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman. Karlsson owns full no-move protection through the length of his contract that ends on July 1st, 2027. Therefore, he has the autonomy to nix a trade that isn’t favorable to him.

So, we’ll see what happens, if anything at all. One thing is for sure. There are a handful of teams in the market for right-shot defenseman. Those interested in Hamilton likely also have Andersson and Karlsson on their radars. We know the Devils can’t be done if Hughes is to ink a long-term extension. We’ll see if/how this all plays out, and it could all hinge on what happens with Andersson and/or Karlsson.

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