The New Jersey Devils may have attempted to move Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat in cost-cutting deals in a failed attempt to acquire Quinn Hughes.
The New Jersey Devils were reportedly among the teams that made "legitimate offers" to the Vancouver Canucks for Quinn Hughes before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
Defenseman Simon Nemec and center Dawson Mercer were rumored to be potential components of that offer for Hughes. Meanwhile, another Devils defenseman and forward have also surfaced in the rumor mill.
According to ESPN's Kevin Weekes, Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat were among the Devils he'd heard had been discussed in potential trade scenarios.
Hamilton, 32, had surfaced in the rumor mill during the off-season when the Devils were negotiating a new contract for blueliner Luke Hughes. He carries an average annual value of $9 million through 2027-28.
During training camp, he downplayed the speculation, saying he signed with the Devils because he felt he could help them win the Stanley Cup. However, his comments didn't end the media conjecture.
In October, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun posed the question of having two $9-million power-play quarterbacks to Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who said Hamilton and Hughes had different styles that fit within their system.
Palat, 34, has a $6-million cap hit with one more year left on his deal. He and Hamilton each have 10-team trade lists, as well as no-movement protection against demotion to the minors.
It doesn't appear as though Hamilton and Palat were part of the Devils' offer to the Canucks for Quinn Hughes.
The Devils were trying to clear sufficient cap space for Hughes but had a couple of salary-clearing deals vetoed, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. He said he didn't know who the players were, but it would tie in with Weekes' report.
The centerpiece of the Canucks' asking price for Hughes was a young NHL center. Neither Hamilton nor Palat fit that description, but in theory, the Devils could've attempted to move them together or separately to clear cap room.
As for Fitzgerald, The Hockey News' Vani Hanamirian believes there's pressure on him in the coming weeks to find a solution to the Devils' mediocre spot in the standings right now, even though Friedman said he doesn't believe the GM's in trouble right now.
Turning to the Ottawa Senators, Postmedia reported GM Steve Staios was still shopping around for a top-nine forward and a defenseman.
Staios reportedly contacted teams considered to be sellers, such as the Canucks, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators. However, their asking prices for their trade assets remain high.
The Senators are believed to be interested in Canucks right winger Kiefer Sherwood. According to the report, they could also have an interest in right winger Conor Garland, though he's not expected to be moved.
Ottawa is third-last in the Eastern Conference but is only four points out of a playoff spot. The Hockey News' Steve Warne said their first step toward returning to the playoffs is better goaltending. Starting goalie Linus Ullmark and backup Leevi Merilainen have save percentages below .880.
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