The New Jersey Devils won’t be able to replace what Dougie Hamilton means to their hockey team, but you can expect general manager Tom Fitzgerald to at least scroll the trade market. Hamilton is expected to miss multiple months after suffering a torn pectoral muscle recently and now the Devils are down a right-handed defenseman who plays in all situations.
Hamilton was on a tear this season with 16 points in 20 games and while Fitzgerald won’t be able to find a clone, there are a few trade candidates who are available and could help keep the Devils afloat while Hamilton is out. They include:
Larsson was recently mentioned by Elliotte Friedman as someone the Kraken have been receiving calls on and it sounds like GM Ron Francis is looking for some secondary scoring in any trade. The Devils are deep up front so there could certainly be a match between the two clubs.
Larsson plays a very different game than Hamilton, however he’s familiar with New Jersey, where he spent parts of five seasons and his sandpaper style is something the Devils could use more of. Larsson is an effective penalty killer and isn’t afraid to muck it up in the dirty areas of the ice. His 51 hits and 53 blocked shots rank him second among Kraken blueliners.
There’s a couple of obstacles to consider with this move as Larsson is owed $4 million this season and next and he holds a 10-team no-trade clause. Perhaps a return to the Devils is something the 31-year-old Swede would be open to.
Tyson Barrie, Nashville Predators
Barrie has been all over the news recently as he was healthy scratched in Nashville and apparently his response peeved Predators general manager Barry Trotz. The team then proceeded to give Barrie and his agent permission to seek a trade as things went bad to worse really quick.
Barrie is much more of an offensive-minded blueliner than Larsson and could help New Jersey fill in Hamilton’s production from the back end. In 24 games this season, Barrie has 10 points, however hasn’t seen much time on the Preds’ top power-play unit. He’s shown throughout his career he can produce offense in bunches and has hit the 50-point mark at multiple times throughout his career.
Barrie is a much easier target to acquire for the Devils considering he’s a pending free agent and he’s also on shaky ground in Nashville. If it’s not New Jersey, expect to see Barrie moved at some point this season, as a trade could materialize for the Predators even before the upcoming holiday roster freeze.
Anthony DeAngelo, Carolina Hurricanes
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently reported the Hurricanes have placed DeAngelo on the trade block. He could set up to be the perfect fit for the Devils.
DeAngelo is in the final season of his contract at just $1.67 million against the cap. He’s an all offense type of rover-defenseman who can be a plug-and-play option for New Jersey’s power play. DeAngelo has seven points in 16 games this season and has been healthy scratched multiple times this season. Carolina has multiple defensemen making more than $4 million so it could be time for them to move some of their depth for some more help up front or a future consideration to then package closer to teh trade deadline.
The Devils know DeAngelo well from his days with the rival New York Rangers and last season he recorded 42 points in just 70 games with the Philadelphia Flyers but then was surpringsly bought out of the final season of his contract, then proceeded to sign with the Hurricanes. Now, just a quarter of the way through the season, Carolina’s GM Don Waddell would like to move on. Yes, a little bit of risk likely involved for Fitzgerald and the Devils.
The one good thing going for New Jersey is they have former #2 overall pick Simon Nemec, who has recently been called up. The 19-year-old was thrown into his first NHL action recently and has performed well, chipping in with three points in four games. He’s still very raw so Fitzgerald and company may want to bring in a veteran sooner than later and develop Nemec’s game more at the AHL level. Decisions, decisions, as the Devils try and do their best to manage without Hamilton in their lineup.
Next: Canadiens: 3 Prime Candidates to be Traded This Season
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