The New Jersey Devils have been involved in trade talks surrounding defenceman Dougie Hamilton, and according to multiple reports, the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams who have engaged in conversations with Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Hamilton, 32, is a complicated trade chip for the Devils because of the fact he owns a 10-team trade list, which essentially gives him control to block trades to 22 other teams. He’s signed for a whopping $9 million AAV for two more seasons, and so far this year, he’s only recorded 13 points in 42 games, despite playing 21:37 of ice-time, second among all Devils.

Hamilton’s name has been on the trade market for months, and dating back to last summer, he used his trade protection to keep himself in New Jersey, after reports surfaced that he blocked a trade to the San Jose Sharks. From ongoing chatter, at this time, it doesn’t appear the Sharks are still involved, which could open the door for Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs. The same Treliving who acquired Hamilton back in 2015 while managing the Calgary Flames.

This would be an extremely complicated transaction for the Leafs, based on a couple of variables. Right now, Toronto has $3.3 million in cap space, and a couple of key players on injured reserve. Reminder, Hamilton comes in at $9 million AAV through the 2028 season. Another key aspect of this trade is how the Leafs don’t have a ton of trade capital to dangle to other teams, which ties Treliving’s hands considerably, however, that’s mostly his fault, and a little bit of leftover carnage from Kyle Dubas. At the end of the day, Treliving will need to get creative to create a package that not only appeals to Fitzgerald, but also works financially.

So, how exactly could a trade between the Leafs and Devils involving Hamilton work? One option is getting a third team involved to help lower Hamilton’s remaining cap hit, which has been a common trend in recent seasons. It would cost the Leafs something in order to have the third team agree, so this could either be their 2027 second-round pick, or one of the best prospects outside Easton Cowan, Dennis Hildeby and Ben Danford.

Another option to help facilitate this trade is including both Calle Jarnkrok and Simon Benoit in the deal. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has recently been screaming out for more emotion from his hockey club, and more juice physically, and both Jarnkrok and Benoit have tremendous work ethics, and some jam to their games. Add in the fact Jarnkrok is at $2.1 million, and Benoit’s at $1.3 million, it helps bridge the financial gap and likelihood of the Leafs acquiring an expensive defenceman.

While Hamilton’s trade value is at an all-time low, and the Devils appear willing to sell, moving just Jarnkrok and Benoit won’t be enough, so this means a mid-level prospect could also be included in the package, and don’t forget about the 2027 second-rounder to a team like the Chicago Blackhawks or Anaheim Ducks for skimming a bit off the top of Hamilton’s AAV.

Are four pieces for Hamilton worth it? Absolutely. Worried about his production this season? Think about it this way, how would you play knowing the GM has tried to trade you multiple times throughout the last six months? Hamilton needs a change of scenery to get back to the impactful blueliner he’s been in the past. He’d give the Maple Leafs a right-handed power-play quarterback, something they haven’t had and desperately needed since Tyson Barrie got a cup of coffee in the role. Hamilton can play heavy minutes, he can provide secondary scoring, and at 6-foot-6 he’s a presence on that back end that would be extremely motivated to perform as a Leaf.

Hamilton’s lack of physicality is something that head coach Craig Berube could easily get out of him, and so too would the passion of playing in Toronto. Yes, Hamilton’s only recorded 45 hits this season, but there was a point in time when Hamilton finished a season with 160 hits and almost 100 blocked shots. His skillset is among some of the best blueliners in the league, and if you trade him to his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the fact is he’s given a clean slate to reset his career, and there’s legit potential he pops off in blue and white and becomes a two-way force.

For a very complicated trade, it’s important to keep things simple when reviewing the likelihood of Treliving pulling this off. The only way the Leafs can pull this off is by having a third team included to chop down Hamilton’s cap hit. On the flip side, if Morgan Rielly was involved it could be a straight up one-for-one?

At the end of the day, Leafs Nation has to be excited because it does sound like the Maple Leafs’ recent hot streak has Treliving aggressive as ever on the trade market. They’ve been searching for a top-four defenceman for months, and Hamilton’s quickly become the talk of the town, and rightfully so. But, at the end of the day, this deal may come down to how much another team wants to ‘buy’ a 2027 second-round pick for.

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