The NHL is on a trade freeze until 11:59 PM ET on Feb. 22 due to the Olympics. When teams resume play, they will need to decide quickly on their moves ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, which is at 3 PM ET on Mar. 6. One of the players who has been mentioned regarding being moved is Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils.
Hamilton has been mentioned in connection with multiple teams as a potential asset they would like to acquire. The Devils may be looking to move on from his contract in the midst of a horrible season. The Devils are currently 28-27-2 on the year, which places them 11 points outside of the playoff spot, and with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. They currently have $7.4 million in cap space, but much of that has been created by Luke Hughes being on long-term IR. Further, the team will have just $13.125 million in cap space this summer, and could be looking to create more by moving the $9 million AAV salary of Hamilton.
Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators could be looking to buy at the deadline. The team has made the playoffs nine of the last 11 seasons, but has missed in two of the last three, including a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. The Predators are 26-24-7 on the campaign, just four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Barry Trotz, who will be stepping down as the GM, has made bold moves in his history with the team, and making a move for Hamilton in an effort to make the playoffs would be another one.
Why the Predators should trade for Hamilton
With the Predators just outside of the playoffs currently, a small upgrade could go a long way to securing a playoff spot. Hamilton is having a slightly down year by his standards. Offensively, he has just seven goals and 14 assists in his 52 games this season. That is good for just .4 points per game. It would be his lowest point per game production since 2013-14, when he was a member of the Boston Bruins and in just his second season in the NHL. Still, his powerplay production has been solid. He has found the back of the net three times while adding 11 helpers on the man advantage, much closer to on-par for his career. The Preds could use the help on the powerplay, as they sit 13th in the league in conversion rate currently.
Meanwhile, the team is not getting a ton of production from the blue line on the powerplay. Roman Josi has been solid with four goals and 12 assists. He would likely stay on the top unit. Still, Brady Skjei and Justin Barron currently have spots on the second unit. Skjei currently has two powerplay points while Barron does not have one. Hamilton could immediately step onto the second unit and improve the team there. Still, he has a projected 3.46 goals scored by the team per 60 minutes of ice time, just off his career pace and good for sixth on the Devils currently.
Meanwhile, his defensive statistics have still been on pace with his career averages. His current rate of 2.81 expected goals per 60 minutes of ice time is slightly worse than his career average. This is also .6 goals per 60 minutes better than Skeji, Erik Haula, Nick Perbix, and Nicolas Hague. Hamilton could jump in on the second line with Skjei, or even on the top line with Roman Josi, and make an immediate impact on the defense of the team. The Predators need help here. They are currently sitting 28th in the NHL in goals against per game this season. A move like this improves the top end of the defense, which will, in turn, help the entire unit.
The perfect offer for Hamilton
Nashville’s current salary cap situation puts them in an advantageous situation to bring in Hamilton. He currently has a contract with an AAV of $9 million, and it runs through the 2027-28 campaign. Many teams that are in a situation to buy at the trade deadline do not have the salary cap space to bring in Hamilton without needing the Devils to pay a significant portion of his contract. While offering to pay some of Hamilton’s contract could yield a bigger return, it also hinders the team's ability to improve via other players. Considering that Hamilton has been a healthy scratch already this year, it’s becoming clear the Devils want to go a different direction, and having the cap space to bring in other players would be a must.
One option for the Preds is to send Steven Stamkos. He has been floated in trade rumors. Stamkos, with a pick or prospect, in return for Hamilton and a younger player such as Cody Glass, would be a great deal. The Preds get stuck with a bad contract, but also shed an aging player to get a young one. Still, with the Devils fading out of playoff contention, it may not make sense for them to make this move and bring in another aging veteran.
A second option is to move Justin Barron and a pick while retaining some of Barron’s contract. Barron has not been as expected for the Predators, and adding Hamilton would be an upgrade. This situation would hurt the team in regard to future salary cap restraints, but does put them in a win-now mode.
The best option is a combination of picks and prospects. The team should not be willing to part with players such as Brady Martin or Tanner Molendyk, but someone like Teddy Stiga should be an option. The former second-round pick has high-end point-producing potential and can play all three forward positions. He does not have a lot of size, but would be a solid return for the Devils. The Preds are loaded with draft capital to sweeten the deal. They have six picks in the first four rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft, while also having four third-round picks in 2027. Stiga may be a top ten prospect in their system right now, but moving him with a draft pick sweetener still keeps the team moving towards youth while also putting them in a position to win now by adding Hamilton.
