When you're injured and your back's in a corner, what do you do? Do you hope that someone magically donates some body parts to William Karlsson or Brayden McNabb so they can heal? Or do you make a big acquisition?
That's the case for the Vegas Golden Knights right now. They're missing key players and are a tad shorthanded. They're looking into additional pieces to bolster their roster, with some publications connecting them to... Dougie Hamilton?
Bleacher Report listed the Golden Knights as one of the destinations for the $9 million defenseman. With the Devils out of a playoff spot and missing the boat on the last Hughes brother, it'd make sense for Vegas to acquire him. The legion of injuries hampering the team, specifically on the blue line, makes a move for Hamilton a no-brainer...
...At least, that's what appears on the surface. The Devils' veteran sounds like a good pickup based on his name alone, with 156 goals and 357 assists in his career. But there are some caveats with acquiring Hamilton, aside from his lofty price tag.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights shouldn't poke the New Jersey Devils on acquiring Dougie Hamilton
First, there's the age factor. Hamilton is 32 years old and is on the back nine of his NHL career. Gone are the days when he'd scored 20+ goals and even get 30+ assists. It's not 2022-23 anymore and you're not getting 52 assists from him. Instead, you're getting a player who has five goals and seven assists in 41 games.
There's also a statistical regression to his game. According to MoneyPuck, Hamilton has seen a dip in his stats since last season.
Season | High Danger xGoals | Corsi | Fenwick | Flurry Adjusted xGoals | Rebounds Created |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | 4.37 | 59% | 59% | 11.6 | 25 |
2025-26 | 1.56 | 55% | 56% | 5.2 | 11 |
Aside from his goals and assists taking a hit from previous years, Hamilton has also seen a declined in his shooting. Not only is he not getting juicy scoring opportunities, but he's also on pace to create fewer rebounds. Would it be worth taking on a $9 million man who's in the latter half of his career?
That's the thing that Kelly McCrimmon has steered away from throughout his general manager tenure. Older guys have a shelf life that eventually expires. That explains why he was hesitant about handing Jonathan Marchessault a long-term deal. Why give someone on the wrong side of 30 a five-year deal, let alone have someone until 2028 on that same wrong side?
One obvious alternative to Dougie Hamilton stands out for the Vegas Golden Knights
You've seen the stories and rumors floating around this guy. He wanted to come to Las Vegas for almost a year and a trade nearly happened this past summer. Of course, that name happens to be who else but Rasmus Andersson.
There are many reasons why Andersson is a better alternative than Hamilton. For one, he's younger at the ripe ol' age of 29 years old. He's also a lighter cap hit ($4.55 million). Yeah, he's going to warrant a contract extension. But the Golden Knights are in win-now mode and aren't looking to get too old.
Why get an older defenseman on the decline when you have a younger ride that's better? That's the obvious answer that McCrimmon and the Golden Knights know is worth taking on. Instead of trying for an overpriced defender past his prime, Vegas is better off staying the course in its endless pursuit of Andersson.