New Jersey Devils defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Simon Nemec were the subjects of rumors leading up to last week's trade deadline. One of them could be playing elsewhere next season.
The New Jersey Devils were expected to be active leading up to last week's NHL trade deadline.
It was rumored for weeks that veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton was available. Promising blueliner Simon Nemec also surfaced in the rumor mill leading up to last Friday's deadline.
Instead, the Devils stood pat, with Hamilton and Nemec remaining on the roster for the rest of this season.
Whether one or both will still be with the Devils by next season remains to be seen.
In his post-trade deadline episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wondered if there had been a chance of Hamilton landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs if the latter had included a sweetener in the deal.
That would've been assuming the Maple Leafs were on Hamilton's 10-team list of preferred trade destinations. If they were, it wouldn't have been possible unless the Devils retained half of Hamilton's $9 million average annual value through 2027-28. Even then, the Leafs would've had to move out salary to accommodate his reduced cap hit.
James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now believes the $7.4 million signing bonus that Hamilton is due to receive on July 1 was one reason why the 32-year-old defenseman has proven difficult to trade this season.
The Devils could attempt to ship out Hamilton this summer, but interested clubs could wait until after his bonus is paid before seriously pursuing a trade.
As for Nemec, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported the Devils entertained offers for the 22-year-old blueliner, seeking a "young, impact, top-six forward."
Nemec is completing his entry-level contract and is slated to become an RFA this summer. LeBrun noted the young rearguard recently changed agents, and he believes the Nemec camp could seek a deal similar to teammate Luke Hughes' seven-year, $63-million contract ($9 million average annual value).
The difficulty the Devils have encountered moving Hamilton and the interest in Nemec had LeBrun suggesting that Nemec is more likely to be moved this summer.
Following the trade deadline, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier denied a rumor that he had offered up left winger William Eklund to the Devils for Nemec.
The Sharks reportedly were interested in Hamilton last summer, but they weren't on his trade list. Perhaps Grier will attempt to revisit his interest to see if the veteran blueliner has changed his mind.
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