New Jersey Devils’ Dougie Hamilton expected to be out until playoffs
According to a report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton is expected to be out until the playoffs.
Currently, the Devils only have Hamilton on regular injured reserve. But placing him on long-term IR would buy the team an extra $9 million in cap space, and potentially add another player via trade.
According to a report, #NJDevils Dougie Hamilton is out until "at least April, early May."
At some point, the belief is they'll place him on LTIR in order to utilize his $9 million cap hit.
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Earlier this month, the Devils announced that Hamilton’s injury is a torn left pectoral muscle and will keep him out indefinitely. Hamilton has tallied five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 22 games this season, leading all Devils’ defensemen. He last played on Nov. 28, 5-4 overtime win over the New York Islanders.
Hamilton is in his third season with New Jersey. After a difficult first season with the Devils in 2021-22, Hamilton exploded with a career-best 22 goals and 74 points in 82 games last year. He ultimately received Norris Trophy consideration but wasn’t named as a finalist. In an 82-game season, Hamilton was on pace for 66 goals, which would have been the second-best output of the 30-year-old’s career.
The Toronto, Ontario product signed a massive seven-year, $63,000,000 million contract with the Devils ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. The contract has an average annual value (AAV) of $9,000,000. Over his 12-year career, Hamilton has appeared in 771 games for the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey, scoring 142 goals and 461 points.
The Devils sit tied for fifth in the Metropolitan Division alongside the Washington Capitals with a 16-12-2 record and 34 points through 30 games this season