As you see via the rafters of the Prudential Center, defensemen were a large part of the organization’s success. The Devils were once a team that took pride in defensemen and for good reason. Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, and Ken Daneyko were the pinnacle of the blue line.
Plenty of Devils legends and legendary team’s were built on the back end. And even though they are gone, New Jersey Devils’ Dougie Hamilton has officially become the premiere defenseman of this era of Devils’ hockey.
The First Year
Not only was it a dreadful year for the Devils as a team, but it was also for Dougie Hamilton. After all the excitement from the day he got signed to puck drop, it was downhill from there. A broken jaw he suffered kept him out of the lineup for a large portion of the season. And, you could tell when he returned to game action he was not the same.
Hamilton went on to finish with 30 points, his lowest since his second year in the league when he was a member of the Boston Bruins. And even then, he still finished ninth on the team in production. It was a year to put behind as he entered this season completely healthy.
His Rebound Season
Dougie Hamilton has rebounded nicely this season. Hamilton ranks fourth on the Devils in goals (13) and points (47). In addition, he had 20 points on the power play and has contributed in all strengths. Hamilton is on pace for 22 goals (career high) and 76 points. That would shatter his career-high of 50 points he set in 2016-17. Further, his current point pace would set the Devils’ single-season franchise record for points in a season by a defenseman.
Aside from him being great for the Devils, he has been great among his peers in the entire league. Namely, he ranks 10th among defensemen in goals above replacement (GAR) and 12th in expected GAR (among 277 total defensemen). Further, he is fifth among defensemen in total points, fourth in goals.
Hamilton The Hero
Not only has Hamilton been exceptional in all areas on the ice and making an impact, he has been the hero on numerous occasions. He has five game-winning goals which ties him with captain Nico Hischier for the team lead.
More specifically, it is playing the overtime hero that has stood out the most. Hamilton grabbed one overtime winner against Ottawa during the historic win streak. Though, this past home stretch saw him put the dagger in two teams consecutively. Sometimes you almost know it could be coming, especially the beautiful goal against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Final Thoughts
Dougie Hamilton has been an elite defensemen his entire hockey career. Even though his first year in a Devils’ sweater did not go as planned, he is showing why he was worth every penny of his contract. He is also the first premiere defensemen the Devils have had on the back end since the days of Scott Niedermayer.
A great move that is paying dividends and his bounce back year means everything to this team as they will be playing meaningful hockey down the stretch. This team is building something special and has shaped up a core group for the foreseeable future. Hamilton is a big piece to that group and Devils hockey is alive and well again.