The New Jersey Devils have one of the deepest defense corps in the NHL.
They possess a combination of youth through high draft picks and veterans signed in free agency over the years, none bigger than Dougie Hamilton.
After three very strong seasons as a Carolina Hurricane, Hamilton joined the Metropolitan Division rival Devils, expected to take over as the number one on their blue line.
When healthy, he’s very much followed through on that, particularly during a career-best 2022-23 campaign where he racked up 74 points (22 goals, 52 assists) in 82 games. But the problem has been the injuries, which have forced Hamilton to miss at least 18 games in three of his four seasons in New Jersey thus far.
That lack of availability, his age, and the emergence of young star Luke Hughes came together to see Hamilton pop up in trade talks throughout the offseason, though nothing ultimately came to fruition. Hamilton’s future remains somewhat uncertain, but for now, he’s a Devil, and he reiterated the desire for that to continue when speaking to team reporter Ryan Novozinsky.
“I signed here for a reason. I love being here. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup here, and I want to keep trying to do that,” Hamilton said.
Spoke with Dougie Hamilton — who has been mired in trade rumors — yesterday.
The #NJDevils star made his stance clear:
“I signed here for a reason. I love being here. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup here and I want to keep trying to do that.”https://t.co/AcQOhxuemJ
— Ryan Novozinsky (@ryannovoNHL) September 23, 2025
The 32-year-old has three years remaining on the seven-year, $63 million contract he signed to come to New Jersey as a UFA in 2021.
Hamilton could be heavily relied upon in 2025-26
Dougie Hamilton will play a key role for the New Jersey Devils this season, and he could be relied upon even more should Luke Hughes’ contract negotiations drag out beyond opening night.
The veteran defenseman saw his ice time dip to under 20 minutes a game last year, the lowest he’s averaged during his career as a Devil.
Part of that could be the team easing him back in from injury, or head coach Sheldon Keefe just reducing his minutes as he ages.
Either way, it’s safe to expect Dougie Hamilton to handle a heavy workload in 2025-26, and it’s up to him to show he’s still capable of excelling in such a role.
