Confirmed Signing with Link: [NJD] Dougie Hamilton signs with the Devils (7 years, $9M AAV) [Part II]

[tarheelhockey]

think it's 35, but that's just picking nits

since he doesn't overly rely on a physical game (much like Petro) he should age pretty well

anything much longer wouldve been a different conversation prolly

It's going to depend a lot on whether he maintains his skating (read: knees, hips, back) long term.

Hamilton's not a burner like Karlsson, but he's a pretty decent skater in small spaces. He makes a lot of defensive plays that just barely work out because of his lower body dexterity, using his skating to get close enough to exploit his long reach and chip the puck away. And offensively, he makes subtle little strides along the blue line that open up a shooting lane or create separation from a PK'er. If that first step gets slower, he could have issues making those little plays which are the difference between him and a run-of-the-mill RHD.

To date he's been pretty healthy in the key areas that impact skating (he broke his fibula, but that's not really a concern going forward) so there's no issue on the immediate horizon. Once he hits his early/mid 30s, I'd keep an eye on it.

 

[Eggtimer]

The only way the Devils could have got a player of this caliber is to slightly overpay. Just like every other team in the NHL does for a UFA .
It fills a huge need. The guy is elite. End of story. Yes the last year or two will not be a bargain by any means but that has almost become a moot point now days. No way else to get the player for the perfect term unless you were ok with offering insane $$$$ . SO teams have a choice , pay a manageable dollar amount but maybe a year or two longer than you want or pay an insane dollar amount that cripples your ability to compete in the cap world?
how else are you supposed to add anything to your team to compete? It cannot all be 100% players you draft nor be all UFA's . Yes the contract perfect but relly what recent UFA signings have been ? The Nurse and Werenski ones were as bad yet they signed with their current teams

 

[bossram]

I like the Hamilton signing a lot, but IMO this should be a signal for the Devils to significantly accelerate their competitive timeline (even more so than what they've done) to take advantage of the remainder of Dougie's peak years.

Swinging some trades to bring in another top-four defenseman and a competent 3C should be prioritized. This will probably be unpopular with fellow Devils fans, but I'd be willing to sacrifice Hughes/Holtz/Shak to accomplish those goals too (I'm really not as high on them as the organization is).

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I like the Hamilton signing a lot, but IMO this should be a signal for the Devils to significantly accelerate their competitive timeline (even more so than what they've done) to take advantage of the remainder of Dougie's peak years.

Swinging some trades to bring in another top-four defenseman and a competent 3C should be prioritized. This will probably be unpopular with fellow Devils fans, but I'd be willing to sacrifice Hughes/Holtz/Shak to accomplish those goals too (I'm really not as high on them as the organization is).

They did that earlier this summer with Graves

I agree 3C looks like a void right now, but its hard to fill all your needs in one offseason...especially for a team that was one of the worst in the league last year.

Also, trading Hughes right now would be a terrible decision.

 

[bossram]

They did that earlier this summer with Graves

I agree 3C looks like a void right now, but its hard to fill all your needs in one offseason...especially for a team that was one of the worst in the league last year.

Also, trading Hughes right now would be a terrible decision.

Haha I've made my views on Graves obvious. I think the macro-analytics on Graves do paint him as a top-four defenceman, but personally I think a team is much better off if they put him on a 3rd pair.

I'm honestly just not that high on Hughes and never really was. He's a great skater but I don't think he has the offensive IQ Quinn has, and I've seen some tape + analysis suggesting his defensive ability might be limited. I'd rate Mercer as the Devil's best prospect. If you can trade for someone like Chychrun, I'd have Luke on the table for sure.

Could the Devils swing something like a Holtz for Robert Thomas deal? That would solidify their group of centers for years.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Haha I've made my views on Graves obvious. I think the macro-analytics on Graves do paint him as a top-four defenceman, but personally I think a team is much better off if they put him on a 3rd pair.

I'm honestly just not that high on Hughes and never really was. He's a great skater but I don't think he has the offensive IQ Quinn has, and I've seen some tape + analysis suggesting his defensive ability might be limited. I'd rate Mercer as the Devil's best prospect. If you can trade for someone like Chychrun, I'd have Luke on the table for sure.

Could the Devils swing something like a Holtz for Robert Thomas deal? That would solidify their group of centers for years.

Jack Hughes had some of the best underlying defensive numbers among all NHL forwards last year.

Edit oh you're talking Luke? Meh

 

[bossram]

Jack Hughes had some of the best underlying defensive numbers among all NHL forwards last year.

Edit oh you're talking Luke? Meh

Yeah, I've been talking about Luke the whole time. I lumped him in with Holtz and Shak as prospect capital for upgrading the roster.

I'm about as high on Jack as anyone. There's is no situation where he should be traded.

 

[Maple Leaf]

9?

 

[Smitty426]

They did that earlier this summer with Graves

I agree 3C looks like a void right now, but its hard to fill all your needs in one offseason...especially for a team that was one of the worst in the league last year.

Also, trading Hughes right now would be a terrible decision.

Is Graves that though? I'm hoping so but it's a bit early to tell. Management so far has been good gauging this but there is risk. I know Luke is on the radar now but Hampus Lindholm in FA wouldn't suck. I know the right side is weaker but Smitty, Sieg and Luke have all played their off side, in fact Smith played there alot.
Lindholm-Hamilton
Smith-Severson
Sieg-PK

Looks kinda nice
Walsh Jaros Luke Bahl in the wings
Vuko Muka Okho Misul

 

[Goptor]

Is Graves that though? I'm hoping so but it's a bit early to tell. Management so far has been good gauging this but there is risk. I know Luke is on the radar now but Hampus Lindholm in FA wouldn't suck. I know the right side is weaker but Smitty, Sieg and Luke have all played their off side, in fact Smith played there alot.
Lindholm-Hamilton
Smith-Severson
Sieg-PK

Looks kinda nice
Walsh Jaros Luke Bahl in the wings
Vuko Muka Okho Misul

Thats an extremely expensive blue line. at some point you have to target cheap defensemen and not pursue stars even if they are better.

 

[Eggtimer]

I like the Hamilton signing a lot, but IMO this should be a signal for the Devils to significantly accelerate their competitive timeline (even more so than what they've done) to take advantage of the remainder of Dougie's peak years.

Swinging some trades to bring in another top-four defenseman and a competent 3C should be prioritized. This will probably be unpopular with fellow Devils fans, but I'd be willing to sacrifice Hughes/Holtz/Shak to accomplish those goals too (I'm really not as high on them as the organization is).

I agree with what you said minus offering Luke in a trade . I’d put him with Mercer in the not available pile . Holtz would suck to lose but if there is an already established goal scorer available I’m down for it . Brady Tkachuk is the type or example of who I would target but it would cost a ton of assets for that . Maybe someone like Forsberg or Meier ? I’d love me some Forsberg but once again it would cost a lot however not a gross amount as he is an upcoming UFA.

 

[Eggtimer]

Thats an extremely expensive blue line. at some point you have to target cheap defensemen and not pursue stars even if they are better.

That is when we need one or more of the prospects to hit and we use them while still cost controlled . If they all do hit , we will have cap issues soon . That’s a good thing though as it means our kids have reached their potential . We can’t spend too much on D . When subban leaves we will need to add another D but I’m not sure I want to pay another UFA or veteran top pairing money . We will need to find the right balance spent on both forwards and D . Can’t be too heavy in one but prefer to go defence heavy if I had to choose one

 

[Eggtimer]

Thats an extremely expensive blue line. at some point you have to target cheap defensemen and not pursue stars even if they are better.

Minus PK after this year and it’s not too bad of $$$ tied up on D . I think we are better off finding a good defensive anchor to play with Hamilton in the first pairing . Smith Severson should be a great second pair . Who knows who will be our LHD on the third pair when the prospects develop more . Tons of options . Severson in two years is a UFA so Fitz will have to make an important decision there .

 

[Smitty426]

Thats an extremely expensive blue line. at some point you have to target cheap defensemen and not pursue stars even if they are better.

Hamilton obviously
PK is gone this year, so $9M off the cap
Smitty on his ELC $863k
Siegs just signed a $1.12 x 2
Severson is a bargain $4.16 x 2
Graves 2 more at $3.166
Jaros at $866k

I hear ya but that's not crazy
And Lindholm is in his final yr of $5.2

A bunch of prospects mostly lefties ea earning under $1M

Yeah it starts adding up but jeez that's a decent blue line

 

[Smitty426]

Minus PK after this year and it’s not too bad of $$$ tied up on D . I think we are better off finding a good defensive anchor to play with Hamilton in the first pairing . Smith Severson should be a great second pair . Who knows who will be our LHD on the third pair when the prospects develop more . Tons of options . Severson in two years is a UFA so Fitz will have to make an important decision there .

This is where I was as well

 

[TBF1972]

Is Graves that though? I'm hoping so but it's a bit early to tell. Management so far has been good gauging this but there is risk. I know Luke is on the radar now but Hampus Lindholm in FA wouldn't suck. I know the right side is weaker but Smitty, Sieg and Luke have all played their off side, in fact Smith played there alot.
Lindholm-Hamilton
Smith-Severson
Sieg-PK

Looks kinda nice
Walsh Jaros Luke Bahl in the wings
Vuko Muka Okho Misul

i don't think the devils should hunt for another big ufa d. hamilton and trying to lock up the young talent, that breaks through should be the goal. if severson walks or all the young lhd bust, there is obviously a need. but spending too much on the d-core would limit the devils ability to keep all the young forwards they have drafted.

 

[britdevil]

but you would definitely buy one of the pupic hair puppets.

i heard the jack hughes pupic hair puppets are very rare, as he hardly grows any pupic hair.

 

[Penaltykiller17]

To date he's been pretty healthy in the key areas that impact skating (he broke his fibula, but that's not really a concern going forward) so there's no issue on the immediate horizon. Once he hits his early/mid 30s, I'd keep an eye on it.

Thing is, looking around the league how many defenseman in the 33-35 + year old age range can you look at and consider elite? Most of the guys that are currently looked at as the top dmen in the game are in their early 20's to early 30's. There are guys in that age range that are still effective don't get me wrong, but a lot of guys that were considered at the top when they were in the late 20's/early 30's a couple years ago are no longer considered in the category.

This is not, and I repeat, this is not a knock on Dougie, nor am I insinuating anything about Dougie, I'm just saying that that's part of the reason that Carolina chose not to go too high for too long with him. There were rumors before UFA that Carolina would've went higher on a shorter term deal, but I get it, why would Dougie do that if he found someone that'll give him what he wants. And as a poster said earlier, when you consider all the guys Carolina needs to sign long term, essentially having Dougie on our roster was considered a luxury.

 

[HBK27]

Could the Devils swing something like a Holtz for Robert Thomas deal? That would solidify their group of centers for years.

Can't really see the Blues having any interest in swapping out Thomas for a prospect, considering they're very much in a "win now" situation given the age of their team.

Also not really worried about the Devils' depth at center. Obviously the top to spots are solidified for the next decade or so. 3C is a bit more concerning for this upcoming season, but you do have some internal options in McLeod and Boqvist, who are both 23 and should both take another step up in their development this season. Also an outside chance that Mercer impresses enough in preseason to warrant a spot and you have the option to shift Zacha back to center (even though he's better at wing) at times if injuries hit.

I just don't think it's worth swinging a big deal at this point to try to solidify the 3C spot in a season where they're still likely not favored to make the playoffs. See what you have in camp and if none of these guys are stepping up, maybe make a minor deal for some center depth or pick someone up off waivers.

 

[MartyOwns]

Yeah, I've been talking about Luke the whole time. I lumped him in with Holtz and Shak as prospect capital for upgrading the roster.

I'm about as high on Jack as anyone. There's is no situation where he should be traded.

i'm not interested in trading any of those guys, especially hughes. you don't trade your best defensive prospect for a 3c.

 

[Eggtimer]

i'm not interested in trading any of those guys, especially hughes. you don't trade your best defensive prospect for a 3c.

Don’t think he meant Luke for a 3c . I took it as use those guys on a player that helps out now like a Forsberg or ? Not just a 3c but yes we need a 3c and some elite wingers j

 

[Smitty426]

i don't think the devils should hunt for another big ufa d. hamilton and trying to lock up the young talent, that breaks through should be the goal. if severson walks or all the young lhd bust, there is obviously a need. but spending too much on the d-core would limit the devils ability to keep all the young forwards they have drafted.

I would agree but we don't have a lot invested money wise in the D other than Dougie. Hampus would need a bump but not a terribly big one. we have three lefties who are comfortable on the right side, I am less worried about this.

 

[bossram]

i'm not interested in trading any of those guys, especially hughes. you don't trade your best defensive prospect for a 3c.

I wouldn't trade Luke for a 3C either. I just mean he should be on the table generally to improve the team. Like I said, I am not as high on Luke Hughes as others.

If a guy like Chychrun were available, I don't see why you would keep Luke off the table.

 

[bossram]

Can't really see the Blues having any interest in swapping out Thomas for a prospect, considering they're very much in a "win now" situation given the age of their team.

Also not really worried about the Devils' depth at center. Obviously the top to spots are solidified for the next decade or so. 3C is a bit more concerning for this upcoming season, but you do have some internal options in McLeod and Boqvist, who are both 23 and should both take another step up in their development this season. Also an outside chance that Mercer impresses enough in preseason to warrant a spot and you have the option to shift Zacha back to center (even though he's better at wing) at times if injuries hit.

I just don't think it's worth swinging a big deal at this point to try to solidify the 3C spot in a season where they're still likely not favored to make the playoffs. See what you have in camp and if none of these guys are stepping up, maybe make a minor deal for some center depth or pick someone up off waivers.

I also wouldn't rush out to make a rash trade for a 3C either. But my argument is that with Dougie currently in his prime, the Devils need to be competitive fast. I don't think they should hesitate to improve the roster further, even at the expense of their top prospects (barring Mercer, who I'd rate as their best prospect).

Developing slowly along with their prospects is fine. But once those guys are impact players, Hamilton is already out of his prime.

 

[TBF1972]

I would agree but we don't have a lot invested money wise in the D other than Dougie. Hampus would need a bump but not a terribly big one. we have three lefties who are comfortable on the right side, I am less worried about this.

Are we talking about a one year contract for Hampus? Cap management is a mid to long term thing.