NHL Free Agency: Three best landing spots for Dougie Hamilton
These are the three best landing spots for Dougie Hamilton.
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton is arguably one of the biggest prizes available in NHL Free Agency this year, and there will be a lot of teams after his signature once teams can start making moves on Wednesday, July 28.
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Hamilton is probably the premier blueliner set to hit the open market this year, and he is set for a huge payday given the significant interest in him.
It is no surprise that the 28-year-old will garner strong interest given his incredible couple of years with the Carolina Hurricanes, who will still be hoping that they can come to terms with the pending UFA.
Hamilton was on pace to become a Norris Trophy candidate in 2019-20 with 40 points (14 G, 26 A) in 47 games, but a broken fibula suffered in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in January 2020 cut short the blueliner’s stellar season.
However, he made a successful return in 2020-21 and put up 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points in 55 games with a plus / minus rating of +20, while averaging 22:43 minutes of total ice time per night.
Also, 18 of Hamilton’s 42 points last season came on the power play and we all know how valuable offensive defensemen are in the modern-day NHL, so Wednesday could be a very good day for the right-shot and his camp.
And, on that note, let’s take a look at what would be some of the best landing spots for Hamilton once Free Agency opens…
The Three Most Perfect Landing Spots for Dougie Hamilton in NHL Free Agency
3. Carolina Hurricanes
We start with the team that Dougie Hamilton most recently played for, and you will have to think that the Carolina Hurricanes will make one last attempt to retain their premier blueliner before he has chance to sign elsewhere.
The main stumbling block for the Canes and General Manager Don Waddell could be the asking price, with Hamilton and his representatives believed to be seeking a long-term deal with an Average Annual Value in the range of $8 to $9 million.
That could prove to be a steep asking price for Carolina, despite the fact that they have around $29 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, although they do have a number of pending UFA’s and RFA’s to deal with.
It is clear that the Hurricanes want Hamilton back and, I mean, why wouldn’t they given what he has done for them over the last couple of years, coupled with the fact that he’s bang in the middle of his prime, but there is the very real possibility that they could be outbid on the open market.
He is the lynchpin of both their blueline and their power play, he ranked tied third in team scoring during the 2020-21 regular season and while the Hurricanes have a good core, they will be a weaker team in 2021-22 if they lose Hamilton to Free Agency.
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.
1. New Jersey Devils
From Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to other insiders, the New Jersey Devils have emerged as the main contender for Dougie Hamilton, and it is a marriage that would make a lot of sense.
For starters, the Devils will have around $31 million in cap space to play with (per CapFriendly), and very few teams will be able to outbid them if they do dicide they want to go all out and make a huge statement by signing a player like Hamilton.
If the defenseman is looking for a long-term deal in the region of $8-$9 million per year, then the Devils would be able to give him just that and still have room to make other moves.
Secondly, this is the perfect move for Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald to make in order to help his team take the next step and start building towards being a contender in the National Hockey League.
They aren’t there yet but they boast an exciting young core headlined by the likes of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Ty Smith and Mackenzie Blackwood and those four in particular should spearhead a bright future in the Garden State if they can all live up to their potential.
However, this team as it is currently constituted could do with a real veteran presence and Hamilton would offer that given he has played in the league for nine years, but he would also give the Devils a legit No. 1 defenseman.
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He would provide a hell of an offensive punch from the blueline, he would quarterback the top power play unit and he would be a lethal weapon for the likes of Hughes and Hischier, and Hamilton would certainly help the New Jersey Devils to take the required next step in their overall maturation process.