Why the Sharks need to make another trade for Dougie Hamilton

The The San Jose Sharks have shown some great promise this season. They have fallen slightly from their highs earlier in the year. However, they entered the NHL Olympic break just five points out of the last Wild Card spot in the West. The Sharks have a chance to make some noise at the 2026 Olympics. NHL Trade Deadline.

It remains to be seen what general manager Mike Grier will do. however, The Sharks have an obvious trade candidate this season. And that’s a player the team tried to sign over the summer before the puck dropped in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Sharks attempted to trade for defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the summer, as first reported Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. At the time, Hamilton invoked his no-trade clause and blocked the deal. As a result, he remained with the New Jersey Devils to begin the 2025-26 NHL season.

Now the tables have turned. The Devils are out of the Stanley Cup Playoff race and are far from a playoff spot despite having more points than the Sharks. San Jose still has a need for a top defenseman. I The Devils are trying to trade Hamilton sooner rather than later.

There is certainly still a possibility that Hamilton could block a trade with the Sharks again. However, San Jose should make another run at this spot. Here are a few reasons why the Sharks need to try to pry Dougie Hamilton away from the New Jersey Devils before the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

Dougie Hamilton can lead San Jose’s defense

The Devils want to trade Hamilton for several reasons. However, his production on the ice is not one of them. Although his offense has been a little off this year, he has consistently scored in the 40-50 point range throughout his career. And not too long ago, he had 22 goals and 77 points for the Devils as they made the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Hamilton also contributes defensively. In all situations, he has the second-best goals against per 60 minutes among New Jersey defensemen, according to Evolving Hockey. He also allowed the second-lowest Corsi against per 60 minutes among Devils defensemen.

Those numbers aren’t helped by special teams either. Hamilton is a strong advantage in 5v5. He still has the second-best goals against at 60 at 5v5, and is one of three Devils defensemen with an expected goals percentage north of 50%. Regardless of the situation, Hamilton can be trusted.

The Sharks need a player like this leading their blue line. He could be an invaluable asset to some of the young defensemen on the roster and coming through San Jose’s ranks. And he can be a stabilizing presence for young goalkeeper Jaroslav Askarov.

San Jose has the picks, the prospects and the cap space to do this. In fact, there’s a chance they can do it without actually mortgaging their future. He fits their team, and the chance to compete for the postseason could appeal to Hamilton around the NHL trade deadline.

Sharks can be adopted in the wide west

Hamilton fits the Sharks in terms of need. However, being out of the playoff race makes things a bit complicated. Should the Sharks give up future assets when playoff qualification is far from guaranteed? In this case, the Sharks should absolutely pull the trigger.

The Sharks play in a fairly wide conference. The West is extremely difficult, as the Stanley Cup contenders have already split. However, outside of the top contenders, there is plenty of room for a team in the West to jump up and make some noise.

The Sharks have proven they can play good hockey this season. Macklin Celebrini emerged as a true superstar in this league. He is a real candidate for the Hart Trophy. And the Sharks need to do everything they can to get him into the playoffs.

The problem is that he can’t do it alone. Celebrini does a lot of the heavy lifting here for San Jose. He entered the Olympic break with 81 points in the season. The next closest goal scorer for the Sharks? Will Smith with 39 points.

Hamilton may not close that points gap. But his ability to move the puck and distribute can give other players a chance to score more. If the forwards around Celebrini can start scoring, this Sharks team could be very dangerous.

Trading for Hamilton would help the Sharks gain ground in the West. It would also give them a player who can contribute for multiple seasons, as he is not a free agent until 2028. This would be a move that would set the Sharks up to compete for several seasons after the 2025-26 NHL season.