Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs staff will need to act quickly if they want to bring in a serious defenceman. Dougie Hamilton will be on his way out to New Jersey in the near future. Hamilton and the Devils are not on good terms as of late, and Hamilton wants to be traded. On Saturday, he practiced on the fourth pairing and will be a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets for their afternoon matchup on Sunday.
Almost dealt this summer to the Sharks
Hamilton was reportedly going to be traded to the San Jose Sharks in the summer, but Hamilton blocked that trade from going through. It has been a very tense dynamic in New Jersey as of late. Hamilton is not happy, and neither is the management staff. It doesn't help that the Devils have played some of the worst hockey in years. The Devils currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference and are six points out of the final Wild Card spot. The Devils have a plethora of depth defenseman, so it seems they will put in the lineup over Hamilton for the time being.
Need to make a push soon
The Maple Leafs will have to act quickly; Hamilton has a trade list of 10 teams, while we do not know who is on the list, Hamilton is a Toronto native and could be open to returning home. If Hamilton is willing to move to Toronto, the Leafs will need to start working on a deal with Tom Fitzgerald. The Leafs could also see a price drop in Hamilton's value with this most recent news and his large contract if there is no retention on the Devils' side.
Hamilton is a player who would improve their blueline. With Chris Tanev out of the lineup for the remainder of the season, the Leafs will need to find players to fill that gap. The Leafs d-core has been playing better as of late, but adding Hamilton to anyone's defensive group will see an improvement. This season, Hamilton has produced five goals and five assists in just under 22 minutes of ice time. These numbers can contribute to the dynamic of his situation, as this is not the Hamilton many fans are accustomed to seeing. Hamilton has been an effective offensive defenceman over the past six seasons with the Devils and Hurricanes. While Hamilton produces offence, he is not a liability on the defensive side of the puck; he can play crucial minutes and can play against other teams' top lines.
Potential trade chips from the Maple Leafs
A move to Toronto will not be easy, as Brad Treliving will need to be really creative and careful, as the Maple Leafs' assets are running low. They do not have a first-round pick until 2028, and can't afford to trade Ben Danford. The Leafs will likely need to give up roster players such as Max Domi, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, who is out long-term, or even superstar defenceman Morgan Rielly. Moving Rielly could be an option that works out in both players' favour, two players who have struggled this past season and changes in scenery could be what they need to revive their careers. Hamilton is in year five of his seven-year contract, so this trade would not only be for the present but for the future.