Hamilton's struggling play and massive contract make him a risky acquisition for Detroit's long-term strategic vision.
The Detroit Red Wings’ success this season has been an unexpected and welcome surprise for fans. At this stage of the year, instead of debating which players might be moved ahead of the trade deadline, the Red Wings are in a position to add pieces and potentially make a meaningful run. Sitting near the top of the Atlantic Division, Detroit has a real opportunity to end a playoff drought that has stretched close to a decade.
Several insider reports have pointed to areas where the team could look to improve, with defense being the most frequently mentioned need. Fans were understandably excited by reports linking the Red Wings to Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson, but other names have also surfaced. One of those is New Jersey’s Dougie Hamilton. While some believe Detroit could explore that option, there are strong reasons to think a deal involving Hamilton is highly unlikely.
Steve Yzerman has consistently shown how deliberate he is when managing cap space. His approach is rooted in long-term planning, even when fans understandably want to push for immediate success. That balance is important, as Detroit does not want to repeat the mistakes made by teams like New Jersey.
The Devils attempted to accelerate their timeline by committing to several veterans, handing out large contracts that included movement clauses. Deals signed by Hamilton and forward Ondrej Palat quickly became among the most problematic in the league, limiting flexibility and creating long-term issues.
The Red Wings would love to add some veteran leadership and experience for their younger players coming up but one of the last things Yzerman will want to do is put himself in a position where he will get stuck with a bad contract and for long-term like with Hamilton's contract at $9 million per season for the next three seasons.
Yzerman isn't focusing on adding these burdens to their team but rather keeping money available to sign lengthy extensions with players that are coming off entry-level deals, most notably Simon Edvinsson on defense.
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Secondly, the Red Wings are looking to get a player that can come in and help keep the team's foot on the gas when it comes to the race for the playoffs and getting a player like Andersson could help with that considering he's having another solid season. Hamilton on the other hand, was a healthy scratch in some of New Jersey's recent games, likely as part of a ploy to want to trade him but also because his play has been so bad this season.
The 32-year-old has seen his numbers take a sharp turn as the supposed offensive defenseman who recorded 130 points in 166 games over the last three seasons, is on pace for 22 points this season. Hamilton is playing a heavy 21:37 of average ice-time and is getting opportunities but can't find his game.
The last thing the Red Wings want to do is bring in another project when they have many other things already on the run with several prospects coming up and down and won't want to expend any extra energy on a player they would be trading for.
Lastly, there are too many other better options at a far better price tag. On the open market as of today, there's players like Andersson in Calgary as well as St. Louis' Justin Faulk, Chicago's Connor Murphy and Winnipeg's Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn are all options that could work into the profile that the Red Wings are looking for and could come in at a much better deal.
It just wouldn't make sense for the Red Wings to take on such a bad contract and a slumping player when they need to hold onto money for future extensions and could go out on the market and get an option that is just as good, cheaper and at a better price tag.
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