Dougie Hamilton III

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

I'm not gonna jump on the revisionist history train and pretend that Dougie sucked all along like some people here, but either way I absolutely love seeing him crash and burn in Calgary.

I really hope this keeps up because it feels good to be on the winning side of one of these trades for a change.

Wouldn't go this far yet, theres still plenty to see from those prospects (won't know for 3-5 years exactly how the traded turned out).

 

[HockeyMomx2]

In fairness, I don't think anyone here thought he sucked. Ever. But, there ate many, myself included, who have never felt he was the player who was going to replace Chara as our #1 D. Edmonton fans were apparently expecting an already developed #1 type player. He's not. They're disappointed. They'll get over it by the time he is 23-25 years old and is a solid #3-#4 putting up points.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Until the draft picks do anything at the NHL level, you can't determine if the B's are on the winning side of the trade.

if Dougie continues to be horrible and the B's dodged the bullet of giving him 30+ million then it's a win IMO.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

if Dougie continues to be horrible and the B's dodged the bullet of giving him 30+ million then it's a win IMO.

Not with the money they gave to McQuaid and Beleskey instead.

 

[LSCII]

if Dougie continues to be horrible and the B's dodged the bullet of giving him 30+ million then it's a win IMO.

But Dougie wasn't horrible here. It's not like you can take his play in Calgary and their system and extrapolate it out and suggest he'd have done the same thing here. We know what he looked like here in this system and this structure. He looked fine. And he looked like a guy that you'd want to sign to a long term extension at a rate as reasonable as he did. So while he's having a hard time adjusting to the style of play there, I don't think he'd be struggling like that if he had stayed in Boston.

 

[jgatie]

But Dougie wasn't horrible here. It's not like you can take his play in Calgary and their system and extrapolate it out and suggest he'd have done the same thing here. We know what he looked like here in this system and this structure. He looked fine. And he looked like a guy that you'd want to sign to a long term extension at a rate as reasonable as he did. So while he's having a hard time adjusting to the style of play there, I don't think he'd be struggling like that if he had stayed in Boston.

Aren't you the person who said he was unhappy under Claude's stifling defensive system and would be better in a system that emphasized elite offensive talent? Matter of fact, isn't it your theory that he didn't want to play for Claude for this very reason, which is why he bailed and went to a team that would let him freewheel?

How's that working out?

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

But Dougie wasn't horrible here. It's not like you can take his play in Calgary and their system and extrapolate it out and suggest he'd have done the same thing here. We know what he looked like here in this system and this structure. He looked fine. And he looked like a guy that you'd want to sign to a long term extension at a rate as reasonable as he did. So while he's having a hard time adjusting to the style of play there, I don't think he'd be struggling like that if he had stayed in Boston.

what this proves is that he's probably not going to be the elite number 1 guy many of us hoped. I honestly expected him to take that next step and follow up his ELC with a monster year ala Doughty. Now it's entirely possible this is just a bad slump and he'll still be that guy, but his weaknesses seem much more apparent now that he has been exposed in Calgary. So I guess my point is that yeah, if we'd kept him we'd still be a better team overall and he'd be a solid contributor, but it was going to take number 1 D money to keep him here long-term (if he'd have actually taken the contract) and I'm glad we didn't commit to that after all. I'd rather be worse off now for a couple years and find the right fit than commit to Dougie and be stuck with all the holes in his game for the next 6+ years.

Aren't you the person who said he was unhappy under Claude's stifling defensive system and would be better in a system that emphasized elite offensive talent? Matter of fact, isn't it your theory that he didn't want to play for Claude for this very reason, which is why he bailed and went to a team that would let him freewheel?

How's that working out?

LMAO at this. This is a very good point. I said multiple times that Lonnie was wrong to say that Claude's system stifled Dougie's offense. Claude's system is actually very friendly towards offensive D b/c so much of the offense is run through the points. And D are not subject to the roll 4 lines mentality that reduces top 6 forward minutes across the board.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

 

[KrejciMVP]

if Dougie continues to be horrible and the B's dodged the bullet of giving him 30+ million then it's a win IMO.

ya Im pretty ok with not signing that deal. Its going to be funny to see Hamilton outdone by Wideman

 

[neelynugs]

FWIW, was out for the evening with Calgary's director of player development and was told over a lot of vodka that pairing DH with Giordano at beginning of season was not a good fit at all....they kept trying to make it work and only recently put him with Russell and it's been much better.
Got a boatload of great stories, fun night.

did he say how many counter offers were made before the deal went down?

 

[TCL40]

Dougie will be fine eventually.

I don't think he earns the money he is getting now though (eg he wanted and got the pay day for the player the Bruins and Flames want him to eventually be).

I have doubts that he's going to be a franchise Dman or even a true #1 but he is going to be good offensively and if given the right partner (stay home Dman) he will shine.

Personally what I think hurts him the most right now is learning the new system and he's playing within a defensive structure that doesn't build around the forwards playing key roles for defense. Dougie was helped by being on the ice with defensively responsible forwards in Bergy and Krejci.

Dougie isn't a bust but I'm thinking he may not top out as the expect #1 Dman the Bruins and Flames expected. He will adjust and get better and he is going to start putting up points. He's still going to have the D zone brain farts and I think lack of a truly physical game (I think he's kind of soft and won't ever play the physical his size should fit. Pair him with a physical stay at home type and he gets better IMO.

 

[BB88]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

He's been absolutely brutal, and the plays he makes aren't on different system.

But I wouldn't say this his true level of play but at the same time I'm loving it.

 

[Over the volcano]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

That's a low blow. Eriksson had 2 goals and was a +4 in the 7 games before getting knocked into la la land. People were getting on him for not being great, not getting on him for being bad.

 

[dup7]

did he say how many counter offers were made before the deal went down?

No, but he did say that re-signing in Boston was unlikely because he (and his family) were unhappy. He didn't elaborate but what I presumed it was Julien and the B's system he just nodded affirmative. My bet is that this was communicated to Sweeny/B's and Don decided to act quickly.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

This is true up to a point. However, I heard a lot of:

"Dougie is taylor-made for Calgary's system, they let their D jump into the offense, blah, blah, blah."

I could be mistaken (don't think I am), but I believe Mr Hamilton himself said in an interview how much he was going to enjoy the Flames' "system?


How's that working out so far?


Edit: from a Calgary Sun article -

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/1...-flames-fans-reasons-to-fall-in-love-with-him


But he is the first to admit his style of play will likely have to change dramatically given just how active all Flames rearguards are asked to be in their run and gun system.

“I think that will probably be a pretty big adjustment for me because I didn’t play that way at all in Boston,” said Hamilton, who signed a six-year, $34.5 million deal with the Flames shortly after being acquired.

“It seems there’s a pretty big green light to be able to play offence and I’m going to have to feel that out. I think my game suits that obviously but it’s just going to be an adjustment on how I play and kind of figure out how the forwards use the defence and all that.

“Last year I was playing with (Zdeno) Chara and trying to stop the other teams’ top lines and that was pretty much my job. But this team is really fast-paced and relentless and I’m excited for that.”

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

That's a low blow. Eriksson had 2 goals and was a +4 in the 7 games before getting knocked into la la land. People were getting on him for not being great, not getting on him for being bad.

Oh boo hoo. Pretty revisionist history.

It was an excuse made for the player we ACQUIRED. It's the same thing we're using to slam a player who was TRADED AWAY.

Whatever makes you feel better.

 

[ReggieMoto]

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

Careful...he needed time to adjust to a new system AND recover from not one but two significant concussions. Can't simply stop on the new system and team.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

You're probably right.

But the whole "no idea what I'm doing" look in the defensive zone isn't a new thing for Hamilton.

Again, not saying he won't be better than he is now. But, I'm thinking some around here (and "experts" around North America) were overrating him in the first place. And, I'd have that feeling whether or not he got off to a poor start. It's just especially evident right now.

 

[ashnathan]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

His brain farts arent system related. Thats the problem. Theyre the same things he was doing here, being weak as and being pushed around, not clearing the crease and letting opposing players stand all over his goalie. Good riddence.

Hes got no ticker. That much is evident

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Oh boo hoo. Pretty revisionist history.

It was an excuse made for the player we ACQUIRED. It's the same thing we're using to slam a player who was TRADED AWAY.

Whatever makes you feel better.

i have watched three Calgary games this year and multiple video packages and I have to say that the majority of bad stuff I have seen from Dougie has had very little to do with "systems" and has been primarily due to his losing one on one battles and lacking compete.

He just hasn't been making plays.

 

[LSCII]

what this proves is that he's probably not going to be the elite number 1 guy many of us hoped. I honestly expected him to take that next step and follow up his ELC with a monster year ala Doughty. Now it's entirely possible this is just a bad slump and he'll still be that guy, but his weaknesses seem much more apparent now that he has been exposed in Calgary. So I guess my point is that yeah, if we'd kept him we'd still be a better team overall and he'd be a solid contributor, but it was going to take number 1 D money to keep him here long-term (if he'd have actually taken the contract) and I'm glad we didn't commit to that after all. I'd rather be worse off now for a couple years and find the right fit than commit to Dougie and be stuck with all the holes in his game for the next 6+ years.



LMAO at this. This is a very good point. I said multiple times that Lonnie was wrong to say that Claude's system stifled Dougie's offense. Claude's system is actually very friendly towards offensive D b/c so much of the offense is run through the points. And D are not subject to the roll 4 lines mentality that reduces top 6 forward minutes across the board.

What I said was that he didn't enjoy playing in Claude's system because he'd face punitive actions if he freewheeled. I did say I expect his offensive numbers to go up playing in a more wide opened system, and that may well still happen. It's very early. Why not let him adjust and see how he looks by the end of the year? Also, I never thought he'd become a true number one, but he was well on his way to being a legit number 2.

 

[Over the volcano]

Oh boo hoo. Pretty revisionist history.

It was an excuse made for the player we ACQUIRED. It's the same thing we're using to slam a player who was TRADED AWAY.

Whatever makes you feel better.

How is his stat line revising history?

I guess "whatever makes you feel better" is the theme here- dougies ok because of how you remember Eriksson's first seven games two years ago.

 

[Mpasta]

...

10 games for a 22 year old defensemen in a brand new system and he doesn't look great?

That was an excuse many used for Eriksson when he started in Boston, despite having spent many more years in the NHL. Needed time to adjust.

People are jumping the gun when jumping on Dougie's start in Calgary.

Most of those people that are jumping the gun are in Calgary. Not Bruins fans.

 

[LSCII]

Most of those people that are jumping the gun are in Calgary. Not Bruins fans.

It's not even jumping the gun, really. It's the rush to throw shade at any ex-Bruin that happens here every time that's annoying. Who cares what he does or doesn't do in Calgary? He's gone and it's over. Even if he stinks there for the rest of that contract, the price they got for him was still too low, IMO. And again, even if he stays in this rut that he's in today, that doesn't mean he'd have played that way here if they had resigned him.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

It's not even jumping the gun, really. It's the rush to throw shade at any ex-Bruin that happens here every time that's annoying. Who cares what he does or doesn't do in Calgary? He's gone and it's over. Even if he stinks there for the rest of that contract, the price they got for him was still too low, IMO. And again, even if he stays in this rut that he's in today, that doesn't mean he'd have played that way here if they had resigned him.

But..."He's gone and it's over".