Over the last decade, Toronto Maple Leafs fans across Canada have prayed for the perfect defence corps to help bring Lord Stanley back to Toronto with little avail thus far. Fans had the right to be optimistic coming into the 2025–26 season with a solid backend that featured the likes of Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo, and Simon Benoit.
The hockey gods felt differently, with plenty of short-term injuries and likely a season-ending injury to Chris Tanev, forcing Phillipe Myers into an everyday role in which he is struggling. The New Jersey Devils have recently made defenceman Dougie Hamilton available for trade, and with the Maple Leafs only one point out of a playoff spot, I think the front office should take a look at the aging D-man.
Who is Dougie Hamilton in 2026?
The 2025–26 season has been tough for Dougie Hamilton, who has five goals and 15 points in 44 games and was recently healthy scratched by former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Over his 4-team stint, Dougie Hamilton has certainly never fit the model of a defensive defenceman, but for most of his career, he’s been able to make up for any defensive blunders with his overpowering offensive ability, with a career high of 22 goals and 74 points back in the 2022–23 season with New Jersey. Although not at his peak, Hamilton could still have real value to a team like the Maple Leafs.
When healthy, Dougie Hamilton is one of the most elite right-handed defencemen in the NHL. However, as he navigates the back nine of his career, his recurring injuries and lack of consistent fit in New Jersey have become issues. It’s clear that the Toronto-born D-man needs a change of scenery.
The contract
The biggest issue with navigating a Dougie Hamilton trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs is his contract. On July 28, 2021, the New Jersey Devils signed Hamilton to a seven-year, $63M deal, which carries a $9M-per-season average. Hamilton, currently 32, is in year five of seven on his contract, which means he’s signed until 2028 at the age of 35.
With Hamilton’s high dollar amount and lack of regular season success in the 2025–26 campaign, one would have to think of Dougie Hamilton more as a depreciated asset or a cap dump rather than a coveted piece on the market. With the Maple Leafs only a point out of the playoffs and currently with $2.5M in available cap space, to get this deal done, Brad Treliving and the front office will need to get creative.
The New Jersey Devils probably aren’t keen on retaining for the remaining 2.5 years of Dougie Hamilton’s contract, but to make it work in Toronto, they’d need to retain 50%. That would make Hamilton a $4.5M per season defenceman, much more appropriate for where he’s at in his career. This could ultimately kill the deal, as there are certainly other teams out there who could acquire up to the full $9M on Hamilton
What could Toronto offer for Hamilton?
Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 2011 NHL draft with a 1st round pick, Toronto sent to Boston in the Phil Kessel trade, it would be a cool all-around story for Hamilton to eventually end up in the blue and white years after trading the pick that drafted him.
The price tag for Hamilton really depends on how much the Maple Leafs can expect the New Jersey Devils to retain. Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald seems to be in some hot water recently after failing to facilitate a Quinn Hughes trade. Would Devils ownership even allow a lame duck general manager to retain 50% of Hamilton’s contract if they plan on making a change? There is also some talk about the Devils having to attach an asset to Hamilton in order to move his massive contract, although with retention, it’s difficult to see New Jersey doing that.
I think if the Toronto Maple Leafs are able to get 50% retention on Hamilton, making him a $4.5M per season defenceman, the Leafs would likely have to pay a price of their 2027 second-round pick, Simon Benoit and Calle Jarnkrok. Years ago, this offer would have been laughed at for Hamilton, but in his current state, I believe this package for 50% retention and Hamilton’s services would upgrade the Maple Leafs blueline immediately.
For the Devils, they wouldn’t save very much money this season, taking back $4.5M on Hamilton, $2.1M on Jarnkrok and $1.35M on Benoit. The attraction for the Devils would be saving money long term and the ability to flip pending UFA Calle Jarnkrok this deadline, and Simon Benoit, who has one year remaining on his contract, could fetch decent draft capital at this year’s trade deadline.
A helpful piece
Although a deal might be unlikely due to his contract. I believe Dougie Hamilton would be a key fit on the Maple Leafs blue line, adding a much-needed right-handed shot to the improving power play. Despite fans online thinking Hamilton is washed, I wonder how much of that criticism is contract-related. Maybe Hamilton doesn’t fit at $9M, but $4.5M? Sign me up!
Every 3 years for his first 9, Hamilton ended up on another team. Many times, there have been rumblings about him not fitting in. Can the Leafs afford to have 2 defensively lousy defensemen including Rielly?!