Coming into the season with low expectations, the Boston Bruins have definitely caught the NHL by surprise. Now, the Bruins are exploring every option to make sure they clinch a ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs—and go on a deep run while they are at it. In that regard, rumors have emerged indicating New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton could return to Beantown.
However, a return to Boston may not exactly be on the cards for Hamilton. The 32-year-old blueliner was drafted ninth overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, but it seems he has no interest in re-entering the Bruins’ building.
According to a report from Jimmy Murphy, Hamilton has made it clear he doesn’t want to return to Boston. The report even goes as far as saying Hamilton “hated it in Boston.”
Hamilton was traded by Boston
Despite putting up impressive numbers during his first years in the league, Hamilton’s time in Beantown was somewhat short-lived. Reports suggest Hamilton had pushed hard to be traded out of the Bruins in the first place, which ultimately led to his move to the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2015–16 NHL season. A decade later, Hamilton is reportedly uninterested in seeing the story come full circle.
With a return to Boston looking highly improbable, Hamilton’s numbers with the Bruins will likely stay put at where he left them after the 2014-15 campaign. In 178 appearances with the ‘Spoked B’, Hamilton recorded 83 points, with 22 goals and 61 assists.
Hamilton’s contract
Although reports of him being traded out of New Jersey have been loud for a while now, the Devils have yet to pull the trigger. That is largely because Hamilton has the final say.
Signed to a seven-year, $63 million contract that runs through the 2027–28 season, Hamilton’s deal includes a no-movement clause (meaning he can’t be sent to the AHL or waived without his approval) and a 10-team trade list. While the teams on that list remain unknown, based on the latest reports, the Bruins don’t appear to be an organization that made the cut.