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Dougie Hamilton

Extension Talks Stall Between Hurricanes And Dougie Hamilton

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Last week, word came out that contract extension talks had cooled between the Hurricanes and RFA winger Andrei Svechnikov.  Now, it appears that this isn’t the only stalled contract negotiation Carolina has with a pending free agent as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that this is also the case with defenseman Dougie Hamilton with talks basically being nonexistent for the past month.

The 27-year-old is off to a bit of a quieter start to his season compared to 2019-20 but has still made an impact offensively with 14 points in 22 games.  Of course, he also contributes in his own end and is once again logging heavy minutes, averaging over 22 minutes per game.  These are top-pairing numbers, something that his agent J.P. Barry has surely communicated to Carolina GM Don Waddell.

LeBrun suggests that Hamilton’s camp is likely going to want to use Alex Pietrangelo’s deal signed in the fall ($8.8MM AAV) as a valid comparable with an asking price coming in a bit below that.  Meanwhile, the Hurricanes may view Pietrangelo’s replacement in Torey Krug ($6.5MM AAV) as a better starting point.

That’s a considerable gap to try to bridge if those are indeed the numbers being suggested which is why LeBrun wonders if this could be a situation that doesn’t get resolved until closer to the July 28th opening of unrestricted free agency.  While that strategy has worked before, it also didn’t with St. Louis and Pietrangelo just last year and Hamilton will be in a similar situation as the top blueliner available on the open market.  As we saw last year, even in this environment, the top free agents have still been able to command a significant contract and there’s no reason to think that this won’t be the case here.

With more than four months between now and the market opening up, there’s still plenty of time to get something done and with expansion pending, delaying things isn’t necessarily the worst idea.  Given his status, Hamilton is a strong candidate to land a no-move clause on his next deal and if it was to be signed before Seattle’s team is selected, he’d become a mandatory protected player while if they wait, it’s easier to leave a pending unrestricted free agent unprotected, allowing them to keep an extra player.  It’s not without its risks though as the Kraken would get an exclusive negotiating period and the closer someone gets to free agency, the temptation to test the market likely grows.  That’s one of the decisions that will be weighing on Waddell in the weeks and months ahead.

Carolina Hurricanes Hope To Extend Dougie Hamilton

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This fall, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Joel Edmundson before watching Trevor van Riemsdyk and Sami Vatanen head to unrestricted free agency. For most teams, losing three NHL defensemen over a few weeks would leave them scrambling for answers, but the Hurricanes still have one of the deepest groups in the league. Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, Brett Pesce, and Haydn Fleury are all under control for at least three more seasons, while names like Jake Bean continue to push for playing time in the minors.

Even that would be an impressive depth chart, but it doesn’t include perhaps the best defenseman in Carolina. Dougie Hamilton, who was a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy before he suffered an injury last season, is heading into the final year of his contract with the Hurricanes and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

That’s something the team hopes to remedy in the coming weeks, as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Gulitti that the team hopes to sign Hamilton to an extension before the upcoming season begins, explaining that though they haven’t started talks yet, they plan to soon after Hamilton arrives back in Carolina later this week.

A contract extension for Hamilton would certainly be an expensive one, even if he does have a somewhat checkered NHL past. Originally selected ninth overall in 2011, Hamilton has already been traded twice in his career, first from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames and then to Carolina in 2018. That movement has come despite him being one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire league, almost since day one.

Over the last six seasons, which includes his final year in Boston, Hamilton sits 16th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 258 points in 446 games. That rank increases to fifth if you sort by goals, as the right-handed defenseman trails only Brent Burns, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shea Weber and Roman Josi in that category. The fact that offensive production comes paired with elite possession numbers and an ability to play in all situations make Hamilton one of the most valuable defensemen in the league.

The question is, whether the Hurricanes can afford a substantial raise on his $5.75MM cap hit. That depth mentioned earlier could potentially make that difficult, given the team already has four defensemen making at least $4.025MM per season for the next three years. The team also needs to consider that Andrei Svechnikov will be demanding a huge raise when he becomes a restricted free agent after this season, plus neither of their goaltenders are signed through 2021-22.

On that defensive note, Waddell also confirmed that they haven’t actually closed the door on bringing back Vatanen, who still hasn’t actually signed anywhere this offseason. The veteran defenseman was traded to the Hurricanes at the deadline, didn’t get into a single regular season game before the season was shut down, but then played big minutes for the club in the postseason. Vatanen is one of a handful of capable defenders still gauging the market, but Carolina has told him they still think there is a “good fit” for him with the Hurricanes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sami Vatanen And Trevor Van Riemsdyk Expected To Test Free Agency

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Hurricanes defensemen Sami Vatanen and Trevor van Riemsdyk are expected to test free agency when the market opens up on Friday, GM Don Waddell told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  Waddell did indicate that Carolina is interested in retaining them and the players could still potentially circle back once they’ve seen what other offers are out there:

We’ve made it real clear that we’d like both guys, but we also understand that we’re under a little bit more of a scrutiny with our salary cap.  So if they go out to the market, whatever the market will bear, it might be something that if they do come back to us that we can talk about.

As things stand, the team has less than $8MM in cap space with only 17 players signed and while winger Warren Foegele and blueliner Haydn Fleury aren’t going to break the bank as restricted free agents, by the time they’re signed, there won’t be enough room to keep both UFAs by the time you factor in spending to fill out the rest of their roster.

Vatanen is the more intriguing of the two situations.  The 29-year-old was brought in by Carolina at the trade deadline despite being injured at the time with the hopes that he’d help them down the stretch and in the playoffs.  Of course, the pandemic shut things down and he was only able to play in seven playoff games.

While Vatanen’s offensive production has dipped in recent years compared to the 37 and 38-point seasons he put up in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, he’s still an intriguing top-four option that can help run a power play.  He does, however, carry considerable injury risk as he has yet to play more than 72 games in a single season.  With a thin UFA market though, there still should be a large number of teams interested in him and a deal around the $4.875MM AAV that he had the past four seasons could still happen even with the salary cap flattened out.

As for van Riemsdyk, the 29-year-old was in a limited role for most of this season, playing in just 49 games during the regular season and only two of their postseason contests.  It’s unlikely that he’ll be able to command the $2.3MM AAV he played under the last two years but if he’s willing to sign for less, it’s plausible that he could be brought back at a rate that’s more commensurate with a sixth or seventh role.

Waddell also has to be mindful of two big-ticket deals on the horizon for 2021-22 in winger Andrei Svechnikov and defenseman Dougie Hamilton.  Svechnikov is a restricted free agent next offseason and Waddell indicated that extension talks are ongoing while allowing for the possibility of the 20-year-old’s next contract being a short-term bridge.  As for Hamilton, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency after next season, no talks have been held yet but he’ll be in line for a significant raise on his current $5.75MM AAV.  Knowing that those contracts will be coming sooner than later will certainly affect Waddell’s willingness to spend big on multi-year deals in the weeks ahead which could very well take Vatanen off the table for them.

Fortunately for Carolina, even if both of their UFA blueliners don’t return, they’ll still be well-positioned for next season with Hamilton anchoring a top-four that also features Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei.  Veteran Jake Gardiner is also in the mix as well as Fleury so the Hurricanes will still have a strong back end without Vatanen and van Riemsdyk in the mix.

Canadiens Acquire Negotiating Rights To UFA Joel Edmundson

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The Montreal Canadiens had a free agent target in mind for this off-season, but rather than wait until October 9th they have decided to pull the trigger now. The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that they have traded impending unrestricted free agent defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Canadiens. The return for Carolina is a 2020 fifth-round pick.

The Canadiens now have nearly a month to negotiate exclusively with Edmundson on a new contract. A relatively young UFA at 27, Edmundson would be a great addition for the Habs. Edmundson showed this season that he is more than just his 6’4”, 215-lb. frame, posting both a career high 20 points and showing he is reliable defender with a career-best 55% defensive zone starts. Edmundson was less a rugged stay-at-home defender and more of a refined, two-way contributor for Carolina and the Canadiens hope that he can continue to grow in that role. Edmundson has also shown back in his days with the St. Louis Blues that he is capable of playing big minutes, which would provide even more value to Montreal moving forward. Given the lack of high-end talent on the Montreal blue line behind aging Shea Weber and 2021 free agent Jeff Petry, Edmundson could land a long-term deal with the Canadiens to lead a new generation of defenders, such as Victor Mete and Alexander Romanov.

On the other side, the Hurricanes have to be happy with landing a decent pick (No. 140 overall) for a player they seemed unlikely to re-sign anyhow. Edmundson was acquired by Carolina just last summer as part of a package from the St. Louis for Justin Faulk. While Edmundson was a valuable member of a very good ‘Canes team this year, prospect Dominik Bokk was always seen as the true prize in the return for Faulk. Edmundson was on an expiring contract and was joining the deepest defense core in the league, making him a likely rental candidate. The Hurricanes’ impressive blue line depth only improved this season as well, as the team acquired Brady Skjei and saw flashes of brilliance from young Haydn Fleury, who will join Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Jake Gardiner as the likely starters next year.

Metropolitan Notes: Werenski, Murray, Carlson, Kuznetsov, Hamilton

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The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a tough loss Friday when they blew a three-goal lead to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final four minutes of the game only to see themselves fall in overtime, giving Toronto a chance to force a Game 5. Many point to the defensive injuries to Zach Werenski, who missed the final nine minutes of the game, as well as the missing Ryan Murray. However, Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella announced today that both Werenski and Murray are expected to play in today’s matchup, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton.

The 23-year-old Werenski was expected to be a major loss to the team, trying to stave off the offensive power of Toronto. He suffered an upper-body injury during the third period and underwent and MRI Saturday. That test must have come back positive as the blueliner is expected to return to the ice. He has averaged 26:42 of ice time for Columbus and should provide a major obstacle for Toronto. Murray was scratched for Game 4, but is also expected to return to the ice. Goaltender Jonas Korpisalo is expected to start in net.

  • The Washington Capitals were without John Carlson when the team took the ice Sunday against the Boston Bruins. The team’s top defenseman has yet to make an appearance in any of the team’s round-robin games with an undisclosed injury, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  There is no word on whether he will be available for Game 1 of the team’s first-round matchup. Carlson was a dominating force, posting 75 points in 69 games during the regular season and is a key piece to the team’s long-term success in the playoffs. Head coach Todd Reirden also noted that forward Evgeny Kuznetsov has returned to his usual place in the lineup after being benched in the third period, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. The center only played in three shifts in the third period due to his inconsistent play.
  • NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reported that Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that it’s too early to tell whether defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs this week due to an undisclosed injury. However, Brind’Amour did say that if Hamilton is ready to go, he will play. Unfortunately, the coach did say that defenseman Brett Pesce, out with a shoulder injury, is not expected to play in this next series.

Snapshots: Gawanke, Hamilton, Coyotes

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With several prospects being loaned overseas to start next season, other international teams are hoping to jump in and benefit from this.  One of those is Eisbaren Berlin of the German DEL.  Their team director Stephane Richer told Jorg Lubrich of BZ Berlin that they have been in contact with the Jets regarding defenseman Leon Gawanke with the hopes of having him loaned there to start 2020-21.  The 21-year-old had a good professional debut with AHL Manitoba this season with four goals and 22 assists in 48 games and he would be returning to a program he’s familiar with having played there (in his hometown) for several years before transferring to major junior.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton participated in practice today for the first time since being injured in practice two weeks ago, notes Michael Smith on the Hurricanes’ team website. He has been dealing with an undisclosed injury but the fact he was able to get on the ice today is a good sign that he may be able to return when their next series begins early next week.  Considering he logged over 23 minutes a game and had 40 points in just 47 contests before breaking his fibula in mid-January, his return would be a huge addition to their back end.
  • Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz skated both today and yesterday as he tries to work his way back into the lineup after being injured in last week’s exhibition game, notes Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on whether he’ll be able to play Friday for the fourth game of their series against Nashville.  One player who seems unlikely to suit up for that one is goalie Antti Raanta.  After being ruled unfit to play earlier in the series, he has not skated which means Adin Hill will likely serve as the backup option again tomorrow.

Injury Notes: Scheifele, Schmaltz, Fast, Hamilton

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The Winnipeg Jets may have lost their top center and top sniper in the same game, as both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine left last night’s test against the Calgary Flames with an injury. Scheifele’s in particular looked serious, as he collided with Matthew Tkachuk and fell to the ground bellowing in pain. The hit got quite the response from head coach Paul Maurice, who indicated today that both players were still undergoing examination, and updates would be issued later in the day.

If the Jets do lose Schiefele for the rest of the qualification round they’ll have to figure out an answer on the top line and find a way to dig themselves out of the early hole after losing to Calgary last night. Here’s more info about injuries around the league:

  • Nick Schmaltz will not play in game one for the Arizona Coyotes after taking a high hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the exhibition match. Schmaltz, the Coyotes leading scorer from the regular season, played in four playoffs games with Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t seen the postseason since. Youngster Barret Hayton will be making his own playoff debut after suiting up just 20 times this season.
  • The New York Rangers are still not sure of Igor Shesterkin’s availability for game two according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, but will not have Jesper Fast in the lineup. Fast was hit hard by former teammate Brady Skjei and was forced from yesterday’s game after just a minute of ice time. The depth winger is a key part of the Rangers leadership group and recorded 29 points in 69 games this season.
  • Dougie Hamilton is getting better according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, but won’t be in the lineup for Carolina tomorrow. The Hurricanes did just fine without their top offensive defenseman, but relied heavily on their top two pairings—Jake Gardiner played just 11:55 while Jaccob Slavin logged 24:40.

Injury Notes: Hamilton, DeAngelo, Carlson

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Dougie Hamilton won’t be in the lineup when the Carolina Hurricanes open their qualification round against the New York Rangers tomorrow. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told team reporter Michael Smith that Hamilton is still unfit to play, although he is “getting better” after suffering an injury in training camp.

Martin Necas, the other important player that has been sitting out for the Hurricanes, could be in the lineup after looking “really good” at practice. Losing Hamilton is a big deal for a team that is already operating without Brett Pesce as he continues to rehab. Remember the qualification rounds are a best-of-five, with the Hurricanes playing the first three games by Tuesday.

  • The Rangers may be without their own right-handed defenseman, however, as Tony DeAngelo didn’t practice today and is a game-time decision for tomorrow. While he is sometimes overlooked among the top offensive defensemen in the league, DeAngelo did have 53 points in 68 games this season, good enough for fourth on the entire Rangers roster.
  • Though they won’t have Ilya Samsonov, the Washington Capitals are expected to have John Carlson back in the lineup for the round-robin. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that Carlson should be skating with the team tomorrow and play on Sunday. Carlson had to leave the team’s exhibition game after falling awkwardly into the boards.

Morning Notes: Pastrnak, Hamilton, Colorado

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Exhale, Boston Bruins fans. David Pastrnak is back. The superstar winger is expected to practice with the team today in Toronto as they prepare for their round-robin games. Pastrnak has been sitting out after coming in contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Ondrej Kase, who has also been sitting out, has not yet joined the team in Toronto and will hopefully meet them at a later date. Remember, Kase will be subject to a four-day hotel quarantine after arriving in Toronto–whenever that is.

The Bruins will start their official games on Sunday when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, trying to lock up the top seed that they held when the season was paused. They’ll have to watch and see who comes out of the qualification round before knowing which team is their first-round matchup.

  • It could potentially be the Carolina Hurricanes, but winning that qualification round may be a bit tougher for Rod Brind’Amour’s squad, given that they’re still missing Dougie Hamilton. The defenseman suffered an apparent injury last week during training camp and is still “unfit to play” according to his head coach. Hamilton is on the 31-man roster for the Hurricanes, which also includes Brett Pesce who is dealing with his own injury rehab. Pesce underwent shoulder surgery in March that gave him a four-to-six month recovery timeline.
  • Speaking of interesting 31-man rosters, the Colorado Avalanche included several young players that could be interesting difference-makers if inserted into a lineup. Shane Bowers, Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins all made the cut, while Vladislav Kamenev did not. Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic examines what exactly that means for the future of each prospect, while also looking at other pressing issues for the Avalanche like the goaltending battle between Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer.

Hurricanes Notes: Hamilton, Drury, Necas, Pesce

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Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton was expected to be a key addition to Carolina’s lineup for the postseason.  However, he has missed the last several practices and it seems that he’ll be out for a little while longer.  Sara Civian of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the injury is not a recurrence of his broken leg that shelved his season prematurely and that the estimated recovery period is weeks instead of months.  That would shelve him for their upcoming series against the Rangers at a minimum plus likely the first round if they make it that far.  His absence should allow Sami Vatanen, a trade deadline acquisition that has yet to make his debut with the team, to potentially debut on their top pairing.

More from Carolina:

  • Prospect Jack Drury is expected to leave Harvard and play in Vaxjo of the SHL next season, reports Johan Svensson of SportExpressen. The 20-year-old had a stellar season with Harvard and still has two years of college eligibility left.  However, with the pandemic expected to cancel sports there until January at the earliest, their season is in some jeopardy so if Drury wants a guaranteed chance at playing, turning pro is the only way to go.  While he could sign with Carolina, the start of the 2020-21 AHL season is going to be delayed as well so going to Sweden will ensure that he’ll be suiting up in September.  Svensson adds that several SHL teams were vying for Drury’s services.
  • Center Martin Necas did not participate in practice today, notes Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. As is the new standard, there is no further information available than that.  The 21-year-old had been skating with the team earlier in the week.
  • While defenseman Brett Pesce will not be available for their series against New York, he was included on Carolina’s playoff-eligible roster, Alexander relays (Twitter link).  Pesce suffered a shoulder injury just before the trade deadline which helped prompt the Hurricanes to acquire both Vatanen and Brady Skjei at the trade deadline.

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