New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Player Projections: Dougie Hamilton

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)

New Jersey Devils 2026-27 Player Projections: Dougie Hamilton

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jess Amato | Last updated Sep 28, 2026 10:45 AM ET

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The New Jersey Devils are facing a ton of pressure heading into the 2026-27 season. They have a strong team, but last season, they crumbled and missed the postseason after a solid start. The Devils are determined to not let that happen again.

Each player has a role to fill, and as we gear up for the season, we can start predicting how each player will perform as we continue our Devils’ player projections, now looking at the defense. Next up is Dougie Hamilton.

2025-26 Performance

In the 2025-26 season, Hamilton played in 77 games and recorded 39 points via 12 goals and 27 assists. He missed about a week’s worth of games due to a lower-body injury he suffered on Nov. 6 against the Montreal Canadiens, exiting the game early after only spending 10:09 on the ice . Hamilton returned to the Devils on Nov. 18, where they inevitably fell 5-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hamilton scored the first goal for the Devils in the 2025-26 season. Eight minutes into the second period, he helped tie the game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 9. Unfortunately, the Devils couldn’t take the win and fell to the Hurricanes in their season opener. However, Hamilton’s offensive skills were on display right from the beginning of the Devils’ season.

Expectations for 2026-27

The expectations for Hamilton will remain the same as all the other defensemen: keep the blue line strong. Last season, Hamilton played on the first defensive pairing alongside Jonas Siegenthaler. The pair were the Devils’ top line of defense, an honor for these two veteran defensemen. However, both are strong defensemen on their own and can be separated if needed. The Devils will need these two players to be flexible to play on other pairings, in the event of an injury.

The expectation for Hamilton will also be to keep his offensive prowess going. Although his main job is to stop the opposing team from scoring goals, Hamilton also does a fantastic job of putting his name on the scoresheet. The Devils will need Hamilton to continue his offensive performance as well to help them climb the standings.

Upcoming Milestones

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Hamilton has played in 912 NHL games. If he remains healthy and plays in all 84 games, he will finish out the season with 996 games, just four shy of his 1000th career game. With another year on his contract with the Devils, reaching this milestone would be a great way for Hamilton to kick off the 2027-28 season in New Jersey.

In the points department, Hamilton has a total of 540 points, amongst 163 goals and 377 assists throughout his career. He has shown great offensive power throughout his time in the NHL. While it seems unlikely that he could reach 600 total points or his 200th NHL goal, Hamilton is just 23 assists away from his 400th NHL assist. There is great potential for him to hit this next milestone in the 2026-27 season.

Projections for 2026-27

My bold prediction for Hamilton in the 2026-27 season is that Hamilton will have another 30+ assist season. In his second season with New Jersey, 2022-23, Hamilton recorded a career record of 52 assists. In 2024-25, he had 31 assists to his name. Last season, Hamilton was close to 30, hitting 27 total assists.

Hamilton has a strong offensive eye for a defenseman. Provided he stays healthy, he can reach another 30+ assist season.