Of those players set to reach unrestricted free agency this summer, Dougie Hamilton stands as one of the best. The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman is one of the league’s best offensive weapons from the back end, while also posting some of the NHL’s best possession numbers year in, year out. For some, he could be considered the top free agent available in 2021 and now he’ll get an early start on the market.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Hamilton has been given permission from the Hurricanes to speak to other teams, opening up the potential for a sign-and-trade. Remember, only the Hurricanes (and Seattle Kraken) can sign Hamilton to an eight-year contract, meaning an acquiring team could maximize his term by working through Carolina before free agency opens. Of course, sign-and-trades are discussed a lot more than they actually happen, as the player being moved has to watch his new team give up several assets. Hamilton could just wait a few weeks and sign with that team for nothing more than money, though he then would only be eligible for a seven-year deal.
As Friedman notes though, this also could be a simple way for the Hurricanes to prove to Hamilton that their offer is competitive. Let the 27-year-old defenseman check out the market value on his services, before returning to Carolina to eventually re-sign. There have been cases like this in the past, most notably Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2016, Stamkos took meetings with several teams around the league before re-signing with the Lightning for eight years. Hurricanes fans will hope that scenario plays out with Hamilton, who has done nothing but produce since arriving in Carolina three years ago.
Over those three seasons, Hamilton has recorded 121 points in 184 games, including 42 goals, most among NHL defensemen. He finished 14th in Norris voting in 2018-19, seventh last season and very well could be even higher than that this time around. In 2020-21, he recorded 42 points in 55 games, once again posting outstanding possession numbers. Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin have developed an incredibly strong partnership, allowing each to use their best attributes effectively.
Of course, there are some who believe Hamilton is a little one-dimensional and would struggle without the support of the more defensive-minded Slavin. That belief could shrink his market, though it would not be surprising if more analytical-leaning front offices are falling over themselves to get a meeting with the defenseman. Either way, he’s now allowed to talk to whoever he wants.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
As a Canes fan, I’m ok with this. He’s going to be horribly overpaid by someone, and I hope it’s not us. He hasn’t been very good in the playoffs since arriving here and As could be been with Slavin out of the lineup, he covers up for Dougie’s blunders very often.
Yep, towards the end of the year and the playoffs it looked more and more like he either quit on plays or was just not paying attention, expecting someone else to clean up his mess only for no one else to be behind him to “fix it”.
At times he looked like the kid sleeping in the back of class that was suddenly called on by the teacher.
Ripe for an overpay and then buyout.
Good player but not worth the amount teams will over pay
There’s a reason why 2 other teams were happy to move him and now a third possibly feeling the same way.
The enigma that is Dougie Hamilton. At 6’6″, he *should* be more physical, but really never has been. His scoring prowess is so-so. But, he has a couple of lines on his HockeyReference page that say, “what?” A rare, big-fat-hairy-deal pair of lines that show his last year in CGY, he took 3 faceoffs, and one after going to CAR. Must have been garbage-time situations, but looks a bit ridiculous. Sorry, Dougie, I don’t those will get you the desired payday, but there could very well be (as has been mentioned here today) a team that does feel you can be “the answer”, then get a bad case of buyer’s remorse. Somebody take Jim Benning’s phone away from him until mid-September, or so!
He took one faceoff on a 5 on 3 pk in calgary when the centre was kicked out of the circle. I remember seeing that and wondering why he was out on the pk to begin with.
@Whalercane47 – Thanks, I stand corrected. That isn’t garbage time, but I’d be asking the same question. After all, Chris Tanev was still in Vancouver, so he wouldn’t have been able to teach true shot-blocking techniques, and Dougie’s forte isn’t that area, generally speaking.
42 points in 55 games from a D man is “so so”?
I think he’s soft as butter, but he can clearly score.
@forwhomjoshbelltolled – He’s OK, but there are better scoring D in the league. That said, his CAR points-per-game totals are better than his previous stops in CGY & BOS, but how much of that is due to Slavin? How many are empty calorie points? I honestly don’t want to waste time going through every game summary to see how many points he had with the opposition net empty. But, as @AshevilleCanesFan has stated, he doesn’t really pass the eye test. Some guys’ point totals can be a bit of a mirage, and some are deceptively low. He really should have a stronger overall game, but for some reason, he leaves you wondering why he hasn’t developed into an elite D-man.
I know it’s a pipe dream but I’d love him as RD1 in Ottawa. That hole doesn’t look like it’ll be filled internally unless Sanderson both pans out and is moved to his offside. Having him firing shots with potentially the best net front presence in the game in Tkachuk would be a killer combination.
Slavin, Pesce, Skjei, Hamilton: Pick 3
I like Dougie, but I watch every Canes game, and he’s the one player on the team who’s hustle I question. He’s had front row seats for way too many goals against, regardless of his metrics. He fails the eye test.
In 54 years of watching hockey I don’t think I’ve ever seen a defenseman as bad as he is at keeping the puck in at the point. The total amount of power play time wasted because of this must be staggering. He often makes no effort at all to keep a puck in at the offensive zone point. All of the other Canes, whether they be defensemen or forwards, seem to routinely make superhuman efforts at the blue line to somehow keep the puck in the zone, but Dougie almost always looks like he’s immediately decided he can’t get to it in time. It’s like he just concedes and then goes to fetch the puck in the neutral zone.
His offensive contributions are nice. But they’re not what’s driving the Hurricanes. I think he’s an asset, overall, but any team that invests roughly a tenth of their overall salary in him will surely regret it. At $8 – $10 million a year he would be an albatross before the end of the first season. I’d keep him if he’d sign for $5.5 – $6.5 million per year. Otherwise the Canes should work out a sign and trade deal. I’d actually prefer they keep him, but not at a price that will affect their ability to address other their needs.
Seattle has a huge advantage that many haven’t yet grasped. They get to interview and make offers to UFA’s BEFORE the expansion draft and can then make that player their pick.
They could toss big money at RNH and Hamilton and walk away with the closest they can get to No. 1 centers and D men. Or they could sign them and then trade them instead of Carolina (or EDM).
This is likely why the Canes are doing this now.
FTR, I think it’s a mistake. I’ve never been a Hamilton fan (quite the opposite) but I think his fit in Carolina is key. That blueline is making the forward group seem better than it is.
I’d hate to lose him, but I don’t think his overall game is worth top D-man dollars.