Are the New Jersey Devils pressuring Dougie Hamilton to develop his checklist?
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the New Jersey Devils and the Dougie Hamilton scenario. He’ll be a wholesome scratch right now. Are they making an attempt to drive a commerce? He has a 10-team commerce checklist. He blocked an offseason commerce to the San Jose Sharks.
Ron McLean: “Nicely, we’ve received the Vancouver Canucks tonight, however you had been discussing New Jersey, and perhaps when the Quinn Hughes hypothesis was rising, it was nearly just like the second that New Jersey began to seek out hassle. In any occasion, Dougie Hamilton, who would have been concerned probably in these talks, is within the cross-hairs now.
Friedman: “Sure. So Dougie Hamilton practiced on the fourth defensive pair on Saturday. The Devils play the Jets on Sunday, and he gained’t play. He’s already been knowledgeable he won’t be within the lineup.
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The Devils say, Look, we’ve got numerous additional defensemen, or we’ve got additional defensemen. (Johnathan) Kovacevic is coming again; any person has to sit down. However Hamilton’s agent, JP Barry, feels it is a enterprise choice to attempt to drive Hamilton to simply accept a commerce.
Reached out to Dougie Hamilton’s agent J.P. Barry. His response:“Dougie was knowledgeable right now that he might be not be enjoying now that Kovacevic is again within the lineup. In our view,this choice is all about enterprise fairly than his recreation proper now. Singling him out appears very…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2026
Now, Hamilton did transfer to a partial no-trade clause this season. He will be traded to solely one in all 10 groups. The opposite 21 he can block. And one factor we’re conscious of is that in the summertime, San Jose did attempt to commerce for him, and Hamilton blocked that transfer. Now, the way in which it’s going now for the Sharks are on, perhaps adjustments his thoughts. They’re the most effective groups within the NHL to look at.
However you understand, the very fact is that Barry has indicated they are going to take into account discussing a few of the groups that Hamilton can block a commerce to. However there’s no query proper now that the sentiments are very arduous on either side. Shedding does that. Hamilton feeling he’s being focused for non-performance causes, definitely does that.
Reached to Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald in wake of J.P. Barry’s feedback. Fitzgerald: “As you understand, we simply put Nemec again within the lineup on Thursday. He’s a younger man who we wish getting his recreation again, the place he had been simply our greatest defensemen earlier than his damage.Pesce’s play…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2026
The one factor I can let you know is individuals had been questioning right now if he would terminate his contract. He’s received two years left after this 12 months at about $13.6 million. I’m instructed the reply to that’s no. Hamilton’s due $8.4 million subsequent 12 months, together with a $7.4 million bonus in the summertime. That I perceive just isn’t on the desk. So we’ll see if all people can work collectively right here to get one thing finished.”
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