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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.