A Dougie Hamilton trade appears unlikely

The New Jersey Devils were reportedly open to a move but, clearly, nothing made sense.

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The New Jersey Devils, at the very least, considered trading Dougie Hamilton this off-season.

Elliotte Friedman noted weeks ago that Hamilton’s name was out there and the Devils were talking about him with a couple of teams.

Frank Seravalli has since reported the Devils flirted with the idea of a trade but teams aren’t lining up to acquire him.

Thus, it appears likely Hamilton will remain with the club for at least one more season. And that’s perfectly fine!

While a case could be made for moving on from Hamilton – who is starting to show more warts statistically – before he moves deeper into his 30s, it only makes sense for the Devils if they receive a quality return.

Hamilton is still a very good player. He just produced at a 51 point pace while generating 5v5 shots on goal at a higher clip than all but Zach Werenski among defensemen.

Hamilton also ranked 19th at his position in even-strength offense WAR – tucked just behind Evan Bouchard and Lane Hutson – while finishing 7th in power play WAR on a per 82 game basis.

Even if he’s starting to decline, he’s still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league on defense.