NHL Rumors: Dougie Hamilton Given Permission From The Hurricanes To Speak To Other Teams
The Carolina Hurricane still hope to be able to re-sign Dougie Hamilton but he could get more from a team like the New Jersey Devils.
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Hurricanes grant Hamilton permission to speak with other teams

Elliotte Friedman: The Carolina Hurricanes have given pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dougie Hamilton permission to speak with others teams.

This opens up a potential sign-and-trade.

Elliotte Friedman: What allowing Hamilton’s camp talk to other teams also does is that it allows Hamilton to see if the Hurricanes do give him the best contract offer,

If he doesn’t like what he hears from other teams, he can return to the Hurricanes.

It is definitely an interesting move by the team and player.

Darren Dreger: J.P. Barry was given permission on Sunday to talk to teams. The sides are not in a rush. Working out a sign-and-trade would make an eight-year deal an option.

Will the Flyers be targeting Hamilton?

Anthony Mingioni: “If you’re the #Flyers, your priority offseason need is a top four, potentially top pair level defenseman. The more available on the market, the better. Whether Hamilton should be the lead candidate in that department can be debated, but he would be an unquestionable upgrade.”

Bill Meltzer: “The news re: Dougie Hamilton is positive for the Flyers, whether he comes here or not. Why? It’s another iron in the fire in an offseason where a slew of options must be explored and then decisive action taken.”

Charlie O’Connor: “This turn of events presumably helps the Flyers, even if Hamilton ultimately isn’t “the guy” for them. Why? Timing. Everyone knows PHI wants a high-end RHD this summer. Getting early clarity on exactly where they stand w/Hamilton allows them to pivot if he’s not a viable option.”

  • Charlie O’Connor: “To clarify, the point of a “sign-and-trade” when it comes to Hamilton is that only a player’s current team can sign him to an 8-year term. So in this theoretical scenario, Hamilton would agree to 8 years w/another club, CAR would sign him to the deal, then trade him to that club.”
Hamilton and analytics

Jim Matheson: “I don’t care what analytics say. Hamilton is one dimensional player.”

JFreshHockey: “This is a pretty reasonable move by Carolina given the issues of signing a 28-year old to big money until he’s 36. But it’s a huge hit on their immediate Cup contention because he’s a really important player who will be tough if not impossible to replace.”

JFreshHockey: “Watching them, it’s clear that Slavin carries the defensive burden on their pairing. But what Hamilton does offensively in terms of puck possession is an extremely important part of what makes it work and it pays off results-wise at both ends of the ice.”

JFreshHockey: “(Most of Hamilton’s minutes apart from Slavin were with the elite defensive defenceman known as Trevor van Riemsdyk, and it can’t be explained away by “context” stuff; the fact that this happens is one of the big reasons why his isolated results are so strong)”

Does Slavin Car