Dougie Hamilton is set to play for the New Jersey Devils tonight after the team announced Simon Nemec would be scratched against the Minnesota Wild.
The team healthy scratched Hamilton in Sunday’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.
The defender has been linked to trade rumors, as Pierre LeBrun reported that the Devils were interested in trading the defender. The team announced Hamilton would be in the lineup for Monday’s matchup, and Simon Nemec will be a healthy scratch after he recently returned to the lineup after dealing with an injury.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the decision to scratch Nemec with NJD.tv.
“(Johnathan) Kovacevic got through the game feeling good, and the medical team is happy,” Keefe said. “With Nemec, a similar situation is coming back from an injury. Playing on a back-to-back, we didn’t think it set him up for success. It gave us a chance to get Dougie back in, which is exactly what I told him a few days ago when I said to stay ready.”
Hamilton was linked to trade rumors, as the Devils were said to want to move him, but his ten-team trade list complicated matters.
Hamilton is in the fifth year of a seven-year $63 million contract ($9M AAV) that he signed with the Devils in 2021.
Amidst the rumors, Keefe addressed his relationship with Hamilton.
“I knew the conversation I had with Doug, which was far different than what went out publicly,” Keefe said. “My message was simple. Stay ready, and when you get back in, make it obvious you should never come out.”
Hamilton’s opportunity came ahead of Monday’s matchup, as he took Nemec’s place in the lineup. Returning from injury wasn’t the only reason Nemec was scratched; the defenseman hasn’t had an easy transition back to the lineup, as Keefe pointed out.
“The first couple of games he’s come back and played haven’t been at the level he was at,” Keefe said. “This is part of his development. He wants to play every day, as every player does.”
Regardless of the outside drama, Keefe explained the standard he holds his players to.
“This is professional hockey,” he said. “You get a chance to go, you’re paid to play and perform.”
The puck will drop at 8 PM as Dougie Hamilton and the New Jersey Devils look to end their four-game losing streak.
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