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Toronto Maple Leafs Looking to Add Dougie Hamilton?

Originally posted on Inside The Rink
By Jeremy Ridgewell | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 3:09 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the hockey world are waiting for the shoe to drop on a Dougie Hamilton trade. Until that happens, speculation will continue to intensify. The list of potential landing spots will also continue grow.

Based on recent reports from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman and their abundance of cap space, the San Jose Sharks have emerged as a frontrunner. That said, two other teams appear to be right there with them. Joining the mix are the Utah Mammoth and the Maple Leafs. Jimmy Murphy of RG Media reported on Monday that the Sharks, Mammoth, and Maple Leafs are the three teams showing the most interest in acquiring Hamilton.

“The Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Mammoth have all emerged as serious suitors. San Jose and Utah in particular have circled back with New Jersey as talks accelerate, while Toronto remains involved despite tighter cap constraints.”

The 32-year-old Hamilton is in the fifth season of the seven-year, $63 million deal he signed to come to the New Jersey Devils as a UFA in 2021. He’s struggled this season with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 41 games played. Well off the 40 points in 64 games pace he had last season.

Maple Leafs Can Make a Dougie Hamilton Trade Work

For the Maple Leafs, money will always be the biggest obstacle in any trade, especially when taking on a player with a $9 million cap hit like Hamilton. However, there are a few ways for Toronto to get creative and potentially make a deal work. They’re worth exploring for a guy who registered 74 points not too long ago (2022-23).

The first thing the Leafs will need to do is place defenseman Chris Tanev on LTIR. This would immediately free up $4.5 million in cap space. From there, the remaining space required could be addressed by trading a contract, such as that of Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million), Max Domi ($3.75 million), or Matias Maccelli ($3.425 million). Toronto GM Brad Treliving could also ask New Jersey to retain some of Hamilton’s salary. This will come at a cost, though. Likely a prospect or pick(s) added to the deal.

No matter how you look at it, a deal such as this won’t be easy to pull off. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Teams around the league routinely find ways to maneuver the cap when going after a player they truly covet. At the very least, this is a situation where GM Brad Treliving will need to do his due diligence. He needs to see what it would realistically take to bring a defenseman like Hamilton to Toronto.

The rush to add Hamilton or another defenseman doesn’t seem as urgent now that the Leafs have picked up 18 out of a possible 20 points in their last ten games. A defenseman is still needed despite the team’s recent success. Now that the Leafs have climbed from last in the Eastern Conference into a Wild Card spot, they need to think about the playoff picture and add depth to solidify their blueline.

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This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.

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