NHL Free Agency: Three best landing spots for Dougie Hamilton

2. Seattle Kraken

It is widely expected that the Seattle Kraken will look to make an almighty splash or two in NHL Free Agency, and what better way to do that than by going all out and snagging one of the biggest prizes available on the open market in Dougie Hamilton.

Sure, the Kraken stocked up on defensemen in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, including the likes of Mark Giordano, Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson, but Hamilton would automatically become both their top-pairing blueliner and their main threat on the top power play unit.

Signing a player of Hamilton’s ilk would really send out a clear message to the rest of the NHL that the Kraken intend to be competitive in their inaugural season, and he would become one of their best players.

He would be a No. 1 defenseman on this team both in the present and in the future given that Giordano probably only has a couple of years left, Larsson is more of a second-pairing blueliner, Dunn has yet to really unlock his potential and the likes of Jamie Oleksiak and Carson Soucy will provide this team with plenty of grit and toughness.

Hamilton, on the other hand, will be a star that Kraken General Manager Ron Francis can build his team around, he is coming off two consecutive 40-point seasons and he will be an absolute weapon on the power play for Seattle.

Plus, given what they accomplished at the Expansion Draft, the Kraken have over $30 million in cap space per CapFriendly, and they could look to weaponize that by spending a good chunk of it on a premier No. 1 defenseman that could make this team really competitive next season.