Devils' Dougie Hamilton addresses swirling trade rumors

Dougie Hamilton Opens Up About Trade Rumors

Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com: As Novozinsky writes, Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton remains the talk of trade discussions, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Pierre LeBrun of TSN. He was able to sit down with the Devils defenseman to discuss those rumors.

A significant reason is his $9 million salary, as the Devils are up against the salary cap while continuing to work on signing restricted free agent defenseman Luke Hughes.

Hamilton told him he had heard the rumours, but it didn’t bother him. He understands this is a business and that trades happen, having been in the NHL for a long time now. However, Hamilton will focus on what he can control, as everything else is beyond his control. Although the Devils’ defenseman was asked about wanting to remain with the Devils, he told Novozinsky that he signed in New Jersey for a reason, as he wants to win a Stanley Cup with the team.

NHLRumors.com Note: As documented on DevilsNation.com and elsewhere, the Devils don’t have plans to trade Dougie Hamilton for financial reasons to sign Luke Hughes. It is a non-starter for Tom Fitzgerald. The Devils are opening a window to win a Stanley Cup. Trading Hamilton hurts them on the right side, as they will ask young defensemen to punch above their weight class with Johnathan Kovacevic out until at least January. Not to mention, Hamilton is still effective on the power play and in his own zone.

Plus, it is for financial reasons, and those are never a good thing. One of his controllables is his 10-team no-trade clause. Don’t expect him to head to one of the bottom-feeding teams or back to Canada anytime soon. Fitzgerald also made it clear that he had no trades in the works to clear cap space.

Yes, tough decisions have to be made, but what kind of message does it send to free agents who see a player who wanted to sign there and want to win in New Jersey and then get traded? While it happens in Vegas, the Devils need to continue attracting free agents; trading Hamilton sends the wrong message. The priority remains to sign Luke Hughes.

Bryan Rust Wants To Remain With the Pittsburgh Penguins

Josh Yohe of The Athletic: Yohe caught up with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust, who has been the subject of trade talks as the team goes through their rebuild. However, as Rust told Yohe, he wants to remain with the Penguins and continue the winning culture established by those who came before him.

Rust feels a particular loyalty to the Penguins, who gave him his first opportunity in the NHL. He has gone through several GM changes and several ownership changes, but he never quit on the team that has given him so much. Although it has been mentioned to him that GM Kyle Dubas may trade him, he wants to remain with the Penguins, one of the last few players to have won a Stanley Cup, to pass along his knowledge to the younger players coming up.

Many believe the Penguins will again be near the bottom of the standings. However, Rust believes they are not too far off from competing. That’s why he wants to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

NHLRumors.com Note: There is a belief that if the Pittsburgh Penguins stay near the bottom of the standings again this season, they will sell off their assets as they did a year ago, including Bryan Rust. The Penguins were open for business last year and could be again this year. Other players include Rickard Rakell and Tristan Jarry. Despite what Evgeni Malkin says, the price would have to be right for him to be traded. Bryan Rust could greatly benefit many teams, making it a situation worth watching.