Confirmed Signing with Link: [NJD] Dougie Hamilton signs with the Devils (7 years, $9M AAV)

[tarheelhockey]

So just to change the topic a bit, what’s everyone’s opinion on whether Hamilton is overrated? Is he a #1?

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

So just to change the topic a bit, what’s everyone’s opinion on whether Hamilton is overrated? Is he a #1?

#1 in the league at flossing and doing topless interviews

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I predict Devils fans will be disappointed if they are expecting an all-situations number 1 guy.

Hamilton is an absolutely top flight luxury item. Think Phil Kessel at his best. If he's your primary guy, you're going nowhere. If there is good support and the right fit, he's a fantastic contributor.

again why is everyone so concerned about this?

the Devils D has been bad, especially their RHD depth.

Dougie Hamilton is a very good RHD, in his prime. They were able to acquire him for no assets...only cap space, which they have plenty of. He is one of the best transition and PP DMen in the league and will help the Devils greatly. The end.

 

[Guttersniped]

The criticism was always there, but fanbases of teams that didn't follow the Hurricanes didn't see it. Our color commentator Tripp Tracy and local media was often critical of his play. You can look through the game threads from our last playoff run alone. And yes, Hurricanes fans wanted to resign him, but we just didn't want to overpay for him. I think the most AAV Hurricanes fans would've felt comfortable with would've been $6.5 million, as we were using Hedman's salary as a comparable and compared Hamilton's play to his. As I have stated in recent posts, I have no hard feelings and will never hate on a player for getting more money, I'm just saying $9 million a year is way too much for what he offers. I legitimately wish Dougie the best.

Hedman salary isn’t a comparable because he’s ridiculously underpaid.

It’s like saying that Svechnikov is grossly overpaid because MacKinnon makes 6.3m and Pasta makes 6.6m and they’re better.

I get thinking 9m is too much, I don’t think Carolina was wrong if they set 7-8m as a limit considering where there cap is now. 6.5m is hilariously delusional, Skjei makes 5.25m while getting no Norris votes and you’re paying Gardiner 4.05m so I don’t know if I need a lecture on the wonders of the Hurricanes’ defense budget.

 

[Guttersniped]

I predict Devils fans will be disappointed if they are expecting an all-situations number 1 guy.

Hamilton is an absolutely top flight luxury item. Think Phil Kessel at his best. If he's your primary guy, you're going nowhere. If there is good support and the right fit, he's a fantastic contributor.

I’m breaking dishes against my tv if Dougie isn’t the top PK guy and shut down defenseman in the NHL.

Am I doing this right?

Phil Kessel?

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

again why is everyone so concerned about this?

the Devils D has been bad, especially their RHD depth.

Dougie Hamilton is a very good RHD, in his prime. They were able to acquire him for no assets...only cap space, which they have plenty of. He is one of the best transition and PP DMen in the league and will help the Devils greatly. The end.

Except that's not 'the end'.

I agree that getting him for only cap space is a serious improvement for your D. But he is being paid what you would hope an all situations number 1 D would get, and he ain't that. As long as you go in with tempered expectations, I think you'll enjoy watching him. If not, I could see things getting ugly, him getting booed, and it effecting him.

I have nothing against the Devils, I'm not hoping against your success, it's just a prediction based on watching him with Boston, Calgary, and Carolina.

 

[Guttersniped]

So just to change the topic a bit, what’s everyone’s opinion on whether Hamilton is overrated? Is he a #1?

The Devils actually tried to sign Hedman, Pietrangelo and Makar this off-season but it turns out players have to be UFAs for that to work so they went with Hamilton instead.

What’s a #1? Damon Severson has been ours so that where we’ve been at.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

I’m breaking dishes against my tv if Dougie isn’t the top PK guy and shut down defenseman in the NHL.

Am I doing this right?

Christ, enjoy DeAngelo’s defensive play, you personally deserve it for comparing Hamilton to Kessel.

Whoa whoa whoa, hold on. Your assumption is that the guy with Bo Horvat as an avatar and Markusnaslund19 as a handle is a Canes fan? Yikes.

I hate DeAngelo, I have nothing against the Canes, but I hope he sucks. So, sweet burn dude.

It's a bloody hockey forum, I was offering my opinion as a hockey fan without a dog in the fight. Are you personally offended by any response that isn't pollyannaish?

 

[Guttersniped]

Whoa whoa whoa, hold on. Your assumption is that the guy with Bo Horvat as an avatar and Markusnaslund19 as a handle is a Canes fan? Yikes.

I hate DeAngelo, I have nothing against the Canes, but I hope he sucks. So, sweet burn dude.

It's a bloody hockey forum, I was offering my opinion as a hockey fan without a dog in the fight. Are you personally offended by any response that isn't pollyannaish?

The assumption that people don’t know what Hamilton is as a player if they want him is absurd. He’s productive and valuable, therefore there’s nothing wrong with being happy with having him.

UFA signing are iffy propositions but it’s something that teams do and this is about the least worrisome because it isn’t someone like Shattenkirk or Gardner. It’s a bit too much money and it won’t end well but that’s UFA signing for ya. The team felt like they needed to do some to juice the team up and they signed a big UFA. And random people come to lecture why he should be making 6.5m (lol) and is 3D if you really think about it.

 

[Sky04]

New Jersey have a bright futur. No one wanted a free DeAngelo . What's your point?

They didn't want him at that price tag when they could've gotten him cheaper as he was getting bought out, common sense? I guess not. NJ paid 9m for Dougie Hamilton so I wouldn't expect them to know anything about good value.

Bright future lol, as if we haven't been hearing that for 4 years now. A bunch .900 goalies in net, star players leaving and a whole lot of meh on the roster. Their future seems to be a perennial bubble team at best.

 

[Sky04]

So just to change the topic a bit, what’s everyone’s opinion on whether Hamilton is overrated? Is he a #1?

#1 defenseman don't get moved to 4 different teams in 7 years in today's game.

 

[HyperX]

They didn't want him at that price tag when they could've gotten him cheaper as he was getting bought out, common sense? I guess not. NJ paid 9m for Dougie Hamilton so I wouldn't expect them to know anything about good value.

Bright future lol, as if we haven't been hearing that for 4 years now. A bunch .900 goalies in net, star players leaving and a whole lot of meh on the roster. Their future seems to be a perennial bubble team at best.

Tampa Bay had the lowest percentage of playoffs made per seasons played as a franchise before 2015 - so lets calm down with the 'weve been hearing that for four years', your team knows plenty about long periods of mediocrity

meanwhile the Devils missed the playoffs a whopping three times from 1988 to 2012. So sorry if it takes a team who actually understands what sustained success is some time to recoup lost assets and rebuild from the ground up

 

[Sky04]

Tampa Bay had the lowest percentage of playoffs made per seasons played as a franchise before 2015 - so lets calm down with the 'weve been hearing that for four years', your team knows plenty about long periods of mediocrity

meanwhile the Devils missed the playoffs a whopping three times from 1988 to 2012. So sorry if it takes a team who actually understands what sustained success is some time to recoup lost assets and rebuild from the ground up

The Devil's have been uncompetitive for 9 seasons and this mediocre group of assets is what they have to show for it, the only thing consistent is that they can sustain failure just as long. They are almost Buffalo bad, they rangers started their rebuild after New Jersey and have blitzed by them but yeah I guess it's normal to take half a decade to rebuild and still look a bottom feeder.

 

[HyperX]

The Devil's have been uncompetitive for 9 seasons and this mediocre group of assets is what they have to show for it, the only thing consistent is that they can sustain failure just as long. They are almost Buffalo bad.

Dont try to twist the narrative; the Devils made the Finals in 2012 with the oldest roster in the NHL after an EXTENDED playoffs streak; so it was always going to take at LEAST five years to rebuild.

And your opinion on the collection of assets is neither relevant nor accurate; many realize NJ has a very bright future, but for some reason you seem to have a war to spark with them

Either way, I was simply commenting that it was silly to see a Tampa fan lecturing a Devils fan about extended periods of mediocrity; Tampa Bay not too long ago was the King of this

 

[Sky04]

Dont try to twist the narrative; the Devils made the Finals in 2012 with the oldest roster in the NHL after an EXTENDED playoffs streak; so it was always going to take at LEAST five years to rebuild.

And your opinion on the collection of assets is neither relevant nor accurate; many realize NJ has a very bright future, but for some reason you seem to have a war to spark with them

Either way, I was simply commenting that it was silly to see a Tampa fan lecturing a Devils fan about extended periods of mediocrity; Tampa Bay not too long ago was the King of this

By that logic we also know what it looks like to come out of mediocrity to the top of the current NHL and Devils aren't treading that way. If their goal is to come out of a rebuild and become a mediocre bubble team then they're on the right path, I would know, considering I'm a Tampa fan, mediocrity and all.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

The way you value Hamilton defensively all depends on your point of reference.

IMO he is right around league-average on defense. Yes he occasionally gets burned and he is not a guy you would task with high-end shutdown assignments. But it's not like he's some leaky, pylon type of defender.

But usually he's being compared head-to-head against top-15, true #1 type defenders. That's a category where he's being thrown up against the Hedman, Slavin, Pietrangelo, Weber, Fox tier who excel in the tough assignments. Against that elite crowd, Hamilton looks bad defensively.

The sweet spot is to compare him to guys like Karlsson, Rielly, Carlson. Against that group, Hamilton fits in both offensively and defensively.

So you're saying the Devils are paying $9 million a year for a guy who is "league average" defensively?

 

[Aurinko]

They didn't want him at that price tag when they could've gotten him cheaper as he was getting bought out, common sense? I guess not. NJ paid 9m for Dougie Hamilton so I wouldn't expect them to know anything about good value.

Bright future lol, as if we haven't been hearing that for 4 years now. A bunch .900 goalies in net, star players leaving and a whole lot of meh on the roster. Their future seems to be a perennial bubble team at best.

Hamilton does have leadership value, but overall the Devils have moved to a spot where they *have* to perform now, since they have 2 extremely expensive D-man who cannot be both expected to develop much better than they were last year.

Speaking of last year, I would argue that there was not a single D-man with more than 8M$ cap hit that was worth his contract (Pietrangelo is borderline, but he was on first contract year which I feel is important) :

(I left Dougie to the list, but Miro and Cale are excluded from this list since they did not have those contracts last year, and are special cases because of age)

 

[The S5]

again why is everyone so concerned about this?

the Devils D has been bad, especially their RHD depth.

Dougie Hamilton is a very good RHD, in his prime. They were able to acquire him for no assets...only cap space, which they have plenty of. He is one of the best transition and PP DMen in the league and will help the Devils greatly. The end.

He is neither of those things. The end.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

So you're saying the Devils are paying $9 million a year for a guy who is "league average" defensively?

That would be an accurate summary, I think, yes.

 

[HyperX]

Hamilton does have leadership value, but overall the Devils have moved to a spot where they *have* to perform now, since they have 2 extremely expensive D-man who cannot be both expected to develop much better than they were last year.

Speaking of last year, I would argue that there was not a single D-man with more than 8M$ cap hit that was worth his contract (Pietrangelo is borderline, but he was on first contract year which I feel is important) :

View attachment 463494

(I left Dougie to the list, but Miro and Cale are excluded from this list since they did not have those contracts last year, and are special cases because of age)

Subban is off the books after this season; so the Devils got Hamilton for 'free', when compared to the placeholder 9m dman weve had for a few years.

plus I think that list would have been larger if not for covid; the cap would be much closer to 90m+

 

[HBK27]

I'm still ecstatic that the Devils were able to sign Hamilton to that contract and I don't really give a f*** about what anybody else has to say.

 

[bleedgreen]

So you're saying the Devils are paying $9 million a year for a guy who is "league average" defensively?

In the end yes. I’m one of Dougie’s biggest supporters on the Canes board and that’s how I saw him. When making the argument for keeping him when everyone curiously turned on him the back half of last season, that was one of my points. No one cared that he was just average defensively the first two and a half years because his pp time and general offensive effort may have been the one thing you could point to that helped us turn the corner to a playoff team. It can’t be understated that he changed the Canes. It absolutely made you forgive the defense. We hadn’t been in the playoffs in a decade and no one single player imo changed that more than Dougie.

Then our group (canes board) became a bunch of salty playoff vets who needed Dougie to be leading the way defensively in the playoffs and didn’t care how much he did to get us there in the first place. He was the same guy the whole time, his average d was fine for two and a half years and then it just wasn’t and he became a scapegoat. Completely took it for granted what he had done. Part of me hopes we bomb this season just because of that....until we traded our first and now I’ll shit a brick if that happens.

If you come at this like he’s a number one defenseman including in his own end you’re gonna be frustrated. He’s not that. He’s a number one D the way Karlsson maybe was a few years ago. Not bad but if he’s your shut down guy you’re in trouble. Even if he wasn’t partners with Slavin the fact the Canes have Slavin and Pesce made Dougie’s D irrelevant. We were the perfect team for him.

**I’ll add part of what makes people frustrated with Dougie defensively is his nonchalant posture. There’s something about the way he carries himself on the ice that makes him look like he’s never giving 100%, especially in his zone. You have to accept that about him and when things are going good you don’t think about it. When things are going bad it will eat at some fans, that’s something that turns some people against him.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

I'm still ecstatic that the Devils were able to sign Hamilton to that contract and I don't really give a f*** about what anybody else has to say.

Yup. Don’t give a **** if it is an overpayment. It fills a huge need.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Except that's not 'the end'.

I agree that getting him for only cap space is a serious improvement for your D. But he is being paid what you would hope an all situations number 1 D would get, and he ain't that. As long as you go in with tempered expectations, I think you'll enjoy watching him. If not, I could see things getting ugly, him getting booed, and it effecting him.

I have nothing against the Devils, I'm not hoping against your success, it's just a prediction based on watching him with Boston, Calgary, and Carolina.

Again, why are you so concerned about it?

Also, when guys like Seth Jones and Darnell Nurse are getting the contracts they got, I would 100% give Dougie the contract he got no questions asked.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

They didn't want him at that price tag when they could've gotten him cheaper as he was getting bought out, common sense? I guess not. NJ paid 9m for Dougie Hamilton so I wouldn't expect them to know anything about good value.

Bright future lol, as if we haven't been hearing that for 4 years now. A bunch .900 goalies in net, star players leaving and a whole lot of meh on the roster. Their future seems to be a perennial bubble team at best.

tell me you have no idea what you're talking about WITHOUT TELLING ME you have no idea what you're talking about