Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined Irf Gaffar on the DFO Rundown Insider Podcast and was asked about Dougie Hamilton, Tom Fitzgerald, and what the New Jersey Devils will do. In conversation, do the Devils move Hamilton’s contract to open up cap space, but they still have to defend. Fitzgerald has tough decisions ahead.
** TheDevilsNation.com transcription
Irf Gaffar: “When you look at it from the New Jersey Devils’ point of view, you mentioned Dougie Hamilton, if, in fact, he does, whenever it is, become a casualty, who knows he might be there for the next three seasons. And we can, this could all just be a moot point, and that’s just talking about it. But can they win without him? How much does Dougie Hamilton mean to that team? If you’re taking a pretty good defenseman off that blue line and replacing him with a guy up front, you still have to defend.”
Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah? Well, yeah, you do. And that’s what they have to figure out, is if we are moving that piece out, is there an opportunity to not necessarily, you’re not going to replace Dougie Hamilton, but can you cushion that, blow on that back end, and help out Jacob Markstrom, help out the rest of that D-corps, back there.
Devils Rumors: Dougie Hamilton Will Remain with the New Jersey Devils For At Least The Season
I’m not suggesting they’re moving him out as a $9 million player and they’re bringing in a $9 million player, but they need to have that, that cap flexibility. Yeah, I mean, that’s gonna be tough. There aren’t that many $9 million players fully available, and this may take a little bit of finessing.
And, who knows? At the same time, they may look at this and say, okay, we’ve got $10 million to play with if we move out Dougie Hamilton. Do we go five and five? Do we go six and four? How do we help out? Are there opportunities to bring in a player, and are our teams willing to retain a little bit on some of their deals?
I mean, Pittsburgh is screwing everything up right now because they’re good and their pieces aren’t available right now, as they were at the start of the season. But where are the additional options? Where do they look?
Do they look at the bottom? Do they look to Calgary? Do they look to Nashville? Do they look to see who else is near the bottom? Is St. Louis an option, and can you vulture in and try to make that type of a move by plucking away some of their top guys? Alternatively, you know, is there? Is there another option?
So I think, I think Fitzgerald is going to cast a bit of a wide net here to see what his options are available to him, and then determine, all right, we’ve got targets, A, B and C, that’s going to result in these types of additional moves that we’re going to have to make.
This is going to be a scientific type of re-engagement for them in terms of getting involved in the market. But I’m curious to see where they go, and I’m curious to see how these other teams react to some of this.”
DevilsNation.com Note: As mentioned throughout the whole off-season, the New Jersey Devils weren’t trading Dougie Hamilton. Those plans haven’t changed right now. He will be in New Jersey at least for this season. Next season is another story. Hamilton still has a 10-team no-trade clause, so he has some say if the Devils were to trade him.
None of the Teams Linked to Dougie Hamilton Make Any Sense as Trade Partners
But Hamilton brings so much to the Devils, not only five-on-five, but on the power play. He has that big bomb from the point. But the Devils will have tough decisions this summer, as Simon Nemec is an RFA eligible for an extension. How do the Devils clear the cap space to add? More questions than answers? Not to mention, despite their winning ways, sacrificing a player like Hamilton could make the team worse moving forward this season.
Right now, the Devils still have no plans to move Dougie Hamilton this year as he makes his way back from injury. However, the New Jersey Devils need to outline their game plan and who will be part of this team.
