The Devils announced that Dougie Hamilton will miss the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury suffered against Dallas on March 3. Hamilton went awkwardly into the boards early in that contest and did not return.
Dougie Hamilton Out for Regular Season
#NJDevils Dougie Hamilton is out for the remainder of the regular season, as per GM Tom Fitzgerald.
— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) March 13, 2025
The Devils are already down a defenseman, after losing Jonas Siegenthaler to a season-ending injury last month. Jack Hughes is also sidelined for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The Devils defenseman will miss the rest of the season for the second straight year. Hamilton missed all but 20 games in 2023-24 after suffering a torn pectoral muscle on November 28, 2023. It is currently unclear if Hamilton would return for the Stanley Cup Playoffs should the Devils return.
New Acquisition Needs to Step Up
New Jersey General Manager Tom Fitzgerald already had the task of replacing Siegenthaler and thankfully Hamilton’s injury also occurred before the deadline. This allowed the Devils GM to acquire Brian Dumoulin from the Anaheim Ducks for a second-round draft pick. While the second-rounder might be seen as an overpay, Dumoulin has looked solid in his first three games as a Devil. He won’t replace the offensive threat that Hamilton provides on the blue line, but the 33-year-old veteran will provide another defensive-minded asset to a solid defensive unit.
Dennis Cholowski was also brought in after being waived from the Islanders last month. The 27-year-old has played 26 minutes over his first two games with the team. Cholowski has also had a chance to quarterback the second power-play unit.
Prospects In the Pipeline
Another option for the Devils will be to play Seamus Casey or Simon Nemec as the season winds down. With the playoff race getting tighter by the day, this might be a chance to have them play in high-importance minutes down the stretch.
Nemec has struggled in his second stint in the NHL and has recently been healthy scratched on most nights. In 16 games, Nemec has one point this season.
Casey has impressed in his small sample size of nine games of NHL action. He has scored four goals to go along with a solid defensive game. The Devils still want Casey to develop in the AHL before becoming a regular with the big club. With the extended timetable on Hamilton, it will be interesting to see if the Devils development plans change for these two prospects.
Main photo by: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
