The New Jersey Devils are looking at trade options for Dougie Hamilton, but his contract could be a sticking point. Meanwhile, several teams have been speculated as potential destinations for New York Rangers left winger Artemi Panarin.
Dougie Hamilton's future with the New Jersey Devils has been a hot topic since last weekend.
There's no indication that a trade is imminent, as the 32-year-old defenseman's contract remains a "complicating factor." He carries an average annual value of $9 million through 2027-28.
Nevertheless, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald is reportedly "working the phones" for a trade that will help his struggling club. Hamilton is believed to be part of those discussions, along with right winger Ondrej Palat, who is signed through next season with an average annual value of $6 million.
Fitzgerald also refuted reports from last fall claiming that players with contracts carrying no-trade protection prevented him from acquiring Quinn Hughes before the superstar defenseman was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic considers the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs among the potential fits for Hamilton. He indicated that the Maple Leafs wouldn't consider a deal unless the Devils retained a significant chunk of the blueliner's annual cap hit.
Cap room isn't an issue for the Hurricanes, who'll have a whopping $37.4 million of trade deadline cap space. However, their previous big moves were for first-line scoring wingers Jake Guentzel (2024) and Mikko Rantanen (2025). Bringing back Hamilton, who played for them from 2018-19 to 2020-21, would be a departure from their pursuit of a top-six forward.
Meanwhile, the New York Rangers' struggles have stoked trade speculation about Artemi Panarin. The 34-year-old playmaking winger is UFA-eligible in July and reportedly unwilling to accept a pay cut from his current $11.6 million average annual value to stay in the Big Apple.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau believes the Rangers shouldn't waste any time on moving Panarin, suggesting the sooner the better if there's no possibility of a contract extension.
Vincent Z. Mercogoliano of The Athletic reported Thursday that a source stated that Panarin hadn't been approached by Rangers management yet about waiving his no-movement clause. With the March 6 NHL trade deadline less than two months away, they want more time to evaluate their roster and gauge the trade market.
On Monday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals as potential landing spots for Panarin. Three days later, TSN's Darren Dreger speculated that the Panthers, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights might become suitors.
All but the Capitals and Wild have limited trade-deadline cap space. It'll take some significant cost-cutting moves for one of those cap-strapped clubs to take him on.
The type of return the Rangers could receive depends on how many teams are on Panarin's list of preferred trade destinations. If he only has one or two teams in mind, the best the Blueshirts might get is a couple of draft picks, none of which would be first-rounders. The more teams in the bidding, the better the return.
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