San Jose Sharks
REPORT: Hamilton Blocked Trade to Sharks Over Summer
Dougie Hamilton blocked a trade to the San Jose Sharks over the summer.
That’s what Elliotte Friedman reported on Sportsnet on Saturday night.
“In the summer, San Jose did try to trade for him, and Hamilton blocked that move,” Friedman said.
It appears that Hamilton is on the trade block once again, as the New Jersey Devils plan to scratch the four-time Norris Trophy top-10 blueliner on Sunday.
While the 32-year-old right-hander has struggled, relative to his past production, with five goals and 10 points in 40 games this season, agent JP Barry contends that the Devils are scratching Hamilton as a punitive non-performance measure.
Hamilton has a 10-team Trade List, and has two years left, after this season, on a contract that carries a $9 million AAV.
Reached out to Dougie Hamilton’s agent J.P. Barry. His response:
“Dougie was informed today that he will be not be playing now that Kovacevic is back in the lineup. In our view,
this decision is all about business rather than his game right now. Singling him out seems very…— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2026
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, um, has a different interpretation of scratching Hamilton.
Reached to Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald in wake of J.P. Barry’s comments.
Fitzgerald:
“As you know, we just put Nemec back in the lineup on Thursday. He’s a young guy who we want getting his game back, where he had been easily our best defensemen before his injury.
Pesce’s play…— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2026
All said, considering how surprising the San Jose Sharks have been, as opposed to the flagging New Jersey Devils — the Sharks actually have a better record — Hamilton may regret the decision.
Could San Jose still be interested in Hamilton?
In theory, the Sharks armed with right-handed UFA signing John Klingberg and his also surprising nine goals, are set at power play quarterback this season. Hamilton’s unremarkable campaign this year, with significant cost remaining, doesn’t help his cause either.
That said, from 2019 to 2025, Hamilton’s 0.73 Points Per Game was 11th among all NHL defensemen. If this version of Hamilton joins San Jose, he could help a lot.
Oh man! He missed out on playing with the new Sidney Crosby!
Dodged a bullet there.
Agreed. Do not want.
Lol your opinions are so stupid. Please, DONT upgrade the defense, Sjshorky DOES NOT WANT!! 😂
lol! Shut up dum dum.
Because??
Read the rest. I’m not immune to changing my mind when being presented with more evidence. My initial reaction was based on his salary and his counting stats. He’s kind of in a shit situation right now though. He’s a great candidate to rebound with a change of scenery.
I thought Dougie was a great fit for SJS. I get that he didn’t want to join in the summer because SJS was horrible for two years. But there’s still time to reconsider. Get it done guys!
Eww… no thank you.
Cool so you’d rather watch Liljegren and Price’s contract? Or the awesome UFA class that’s coming up in 2027?
I think they need to trade for someone else. Having seen a few analytics on his season though I think I could warm to the idea of him in SJ if the price isn’t too great. Sharks would be doing them a favor though. As far as your other comment, Lily is likely better defensively than Hamilton. Hamilton may thrive on this team though.
Yes they would rather watch lilegren and waste space on price because to them mile grier does no wrong
Hey dumb shit the Sharks already have a guy that’s injured all the time. 🖕
Come on Snark, ease off on the attacks. I know you like it, it has gotten old. Just disagree and move along.
You know I don’t care what you think right? Besides he attacked me first unprovoked. So quit with the attempts to be a moderator. You’re wasting your time.
Let New Jersey call and then let the call go to voicemail.
Rather call Rangers about Fox
Well he’s hurt and isn’t coming back. So maybe stay current on players you want to add. 🤦🏻♂️
He’ll cost too much and he’s not a big game player.
Wonder what GMMG offered back then. If he re-engages (not saying I want him to), he had better be reducing his previous offer – NJ will be more desperate to move him. Now that it’s clear Hamilton has no future in NJ, combined with the Shark’s rise, decent chance he doesn’t block it again if asked.
Why would you want a player who doesn’t want to be here? 🤦🏻♂️
If his basis for wanting to be somewhere is driven by wanting to win, why would you hold it against him to not want to leave a team that some believed could be a SC contender in order to join a team coming off a 52 point season????
Well it’s Mike Grier, so we’d be getting Dougie and a 2nd for future considerations
🤣
curious what the offer would’ve been, would’ve been a nice get for just a 4th since cap space doesn’t really matter for most of the duration of the contract anyways but klingberg has been passable enough in what would likely be his slot that it likely doesn’t matter
Sometimes in life, we want something and it doesn’t happen. We later come to learn that we were lucky to have missed out.
Seems GMMG and Dougie Hamilton is just that sort of thing. I’m not sure who Grier got instead, if anyone. But perhaps it was Orlov, in which case he made out brilliantly. Perhaps because Hamilton said ‘no’.
At this point, Hamilton is a negative value player. $9mil cap hit and, at least by the numbers, a shell of his former self. Brenden Dillion has 11 pts, Dougie has 10.
money wise it might have been orlov but my guess with dougie is his role was meant to be rd1 and the pp qb, which are klingberg’s roles
Someone on twitter posted that Hamilton has the highest xgf of all the Devils D…
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20252026&thruseason=20252026&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=oi&rate=n&team=N.J&pos=S&loc=B&toi=100&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
According the NST, its 53% xGF% which is the highest. In actual GF% its 41%, which is 4th among their d-men
Hard to reconcile him having just 5 even strength points in 40 games with also having a high GF%.
Yeah I have no answer for that other than that team is a tire fire right now.
I’d do, pass on em. Find someone else. Let him miss the playoffs. Forget Hamilton… he should NEVER be a shark.
May be an interesting rehab project if the price is right. But it’s possible Hamilton just didn’t want to move his family across the continent and still feels that way.
Why would you want a player who doesn’t want to be here? 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Friedman huh
The Sharks PP QB role is not set with Klingberg. Our PP has not been good with him this year. In fact it’s looked much better with Orlov because they move around more with Orlov than they do with Klingberg.
Set is a strong word. I’ve been one of Klinger biggest defenders but he’s a pending UFA who will have big question marks the rest of his career. Having both him and Hamilton the rest of the season gives the team much better puck moving ability.
Sharks might be convinced to make another run at Hamilton IF the price is right and they think there’s tread left on the tires. He was a 40 point player last season, a 70+ point player a few years ago, and has an established track record. Wonder whether Grier sees this season’s point total as an indication that the wheels have fallen off, or an aberration and a good opportunity buy low. Full disclosure, I would have applauded a deal last offseason. But at this point, my guy tells me SJ dodged a bullet and can find a better way… Read more »
I am the opposite. I would have said no to Hamilton in the summer but now maybe if the price is right. This is now a contract dump and a rehab project, so NJ needs to pitch a good offer.
No, both of you NO! NEVER bring a player here who doesn’t want to be on the team. EVER. He’s a cancer.
He’s a Gemini. C’mon Sandman!
Hmmm… He’d have to agree to the trade so I don’t get your point. Either he rejects being traded to SJ because he doesn’t want to come here. Or he accepts a trade to SJ because he wants to be here (or at least would rather be here than in NJ). Just because a player doesn’t necessarily want to be here doesn’t automatically make him a cancer. Goodrow’s not been a cancer and it was VERY clear he didn’t want to come here. Myself, unless the cost is really low or it comes with some sweetener) I’d rather skip on… Read more »
Well put.
Goody didn’t want to come and he’s been great.
Great this year but last year he looked like a player maybe at the end of his career. But as we found out from a Sheng interview, he was able to rest and heal after a few years of long playoff runs. He’s got bounce and his step back; been a joy to watch this year.
Yeah he was probably a broken human after all those long seasons and playoff runs. I would trade him in a second if the chance was there but he’s been a positive for this roster this season.
As of this summer, this team was dead last in the league for 2 years in a row on top of being on the opposite coast from New Jersey. I doubt Sharks being on Hamilton’s NTL was anything personal.
If you are going to hold a grudge against any player who ever had San Jose on a no trade list, you’re going to have a small pool of players.
I dunno, this season feels more like the aberration looking at his track record.
Yeah I think he’s got a bounceback season in him. But he is also on the wrong side of the aging curve now. So the emphasis is on “if the price is right.”
Agreed. I doubt he’s a 70 point player again but playing with Celly on the PP he might score at a 50 point pace which would be incredibly helpful. Might get the PP into the top 15 for a change,
Fair point. Even if this season is closer to the new norm for him, if the deal is good enough, maybe it still could make sense.
If NJ is desperate to get rid of him, I’d be down to take him especially if we get him for basically nothing (or with something attached to him). He could come in and run PP1 and get Top 4 minutes on our blueline.
Orlov-Klingberg
Ferraro-Hamilton
Dickinson-Iorio
NO YOU DONT ADD PLAYERS WHO DONT WANT TO BE ON YOUR TEAM!!! wtf is wrong with you guys saying this stuff. He will be a CANCER
Dam you’re really on one!
Dude, stop shouting
If he still doesn’t want to be in SJ, he will continue to block a trade. Why is this concept so hard for you to understand?
Jesus dude take a Valium.
Hopefully Ferraro isn’t one of the 6. Prefer the confident Shak.
Interesting. Doesn’t surprise me he didn’t waive, as the Sharks were real bad last year even if they were fun to watch. Plus, you’d have to think he wants to win a Cup and NJ was primed for that. Without looking at PP, I would assume they’re right up against the cap and couldn’t do a lot with that $9 on the books, and given how they healthy scratched him his value isn’t too high. I’m sure a lot of teams that have the $9 cap space may be ones that he wouldn’t waive to (aside from Sharks) but you… Read more »
BECAUSE HE DOESNT WANT TO BE A SHARK 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Jesus you guys just don’t get it. This isn’t nhl 25
This also isn’t 4th grade.
Yeah, the price should be way down, and maybe now he will be open to a move like this. But things are different for the Sharks too, so who knows? Probably a case where Grier trusts what his scouts are seeing and they make a decision from there… If he’s even considering it, that is. The price should be very low. But it would probably mean Hamilton is their big shot this year unless Grier moved Price’s contract to free space for another move. If another team needs to stay above the floor and wants to move guys, maybe it’s… Read more »
If they take Leddy and a spare AHL contract off our hands in return, sure. Otherwise, no thanks.
This is the best comment about this. Take a washed up DMan who didn’t really want to be here for a washed up DMan who didn’t want to be here but has changed his mind (cause he still has to waive for a trade) and solve the contract cap issue.
Agreed but it likely takes something else. Maybe a 3rd? No clue. I have no idea whether it’s a good decision to add him. I’m confident Griers team knows though so we’ll see what happens.
Ok looks like the price may be cheap, hence their being involved. I’m starting to wonder if the just Goody/ Leddy him and the Sharks grab him in waivers. Not a to of teams can take on his full salary. A lot of speculation out there that’s he’s a Shark sometime in the next week or so.
The timeline lines up with Misa playing his 10th game. I could see Hamilton being a Shark before Misas contract kicks in.
Not possible. Dougie has a NMC.
Yeah it is possible. Are you up on the news? They’re forcing him out. Please tell me you’ve noticed guys getting traded despite having a NMC…?
He has a full no movement clause, can’t waive him.
no he doesn’t. At least that’s not how it appears. It’s a 10 team trade list. Regardless, I don’t think it’ll actually come to that. Sounds like he’s acquiescing and will accept a trade. We’ll see if it ends up being the Sharks. Seems like that’s what moving the Ellis contract was about though.
Correct. The full NMC ended as of this summer and the 10-team NTC enters effect for the last couple years of the contract.
But Sharks now pick about middle of the pack off the waiver wire. I can see some teams cratering this season grabbing Hamilton as a desperation move before the Sharks get a chance.
Hard no on Hamilton. Too many miles, too injury prone, too exapensive. We need more of younger Brock Faber type Right handed d-man. Eric Pohlkamp is the answer,
Are you calling him fat…? Polkamp doesn’t project to anything more than 3rd pair. Sharks need someone higher in the lineup. I have no idea if Hamilton can be that. Seems like a forgone conclusion that he’s better than all but maybe 3 Sharks D though. Sounds like he may be the Labanc of D-men. Good analytics but shitty at actual hockey.
Haha. Sure, let me just pull up Amazon and order a couple of Brock Fabers…
All joking aside, I basically agree that Grier should be looking for long-term, high impact solutions instead of overpaying for mid veterans. But it requires luck and patience for high impact young player to be available on the market. Until then, this team should be looking for value veterans. This is where Hamilton’s bad season and high cap hit could make him a bargain in a trade. Sharks can finally weaponize that cap space.
Ok watched a bunch of highlights of Hamilton the last couple years. I’m in. Forgot he was a giant. Go get him Grier. I’ll trust the coaching staff to get him going again. Bet he’s rejuvenated playing with Celly especially in this team environment.