NHL Trade Rumors: New Jersey Devils could trade Dougie Hamilton after Luke Hughes injury

New Jersey Devils hit their lowest point on Wednesday when they put defenseman Luke Hughes into long-term injured reserve, which created a major defensive gap for their already struggling defense this season.

Hughes sustained his injury while playing against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, when he averaged 23:04 minutes per game and led all defensemen with 26 points in 49 games. The Devils face a defensive crisis because Hughes is unavailable, and their existing players include only recently recovered Dougie Hamilton as their main option to take his place. The question of whether Hamilton should stay with the team or be traded now exists.The Devils should not keep Hamilton to replace Hughes because he is not a suitable solution for their current problems. The New Jersey team currently stands in 12th position in the Eastern Conference because Hamilton has participated in 45 games this season. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald faces a choice: keep Hamilton and hope his presence shifts results slightly, or trade him to free up his $9-million salary cap space, which would help solve team needs for better forward scoring and goaltending support.

Why a Dougie Hamilton trade could make sense for New Jersey Devils

According to league discussions earlier this week, Hamilton presents value as a trade asset for teams that need an experienced defenseman. The Devils can obtain a veteran forward or a goaltender through a trade who will bring better performance than Jacob Markstrom, who has a .882 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average for this season. The financial structure of Stolarz's $2.5 million cap hit this season and his $3.75 million salary, which extends through four more years, together with Hildeby's $841,667 salary make the move financially possible while creating budget space for extra team improvements.

New Jersey maintains a strong defensive unit even without Hughes and Hamilton, but they need help from the forwards and the goalkeeper. Fitzgerald can use this moment before Hughes returns to maximize Hamilton's value because it provides him a chance to advance his team in the Eastern Conference standings. The team needs to make decisions because they risk missing the March 6 trade deadline, which will lead to further challenges in their playoff race and draw negative feedback for maintaining their current situation.The Devils can achieve their best roster improvement through a trade of Dougie Hamilton. The team needs to maintain its current roster while adding new scoring options and goaltending resources to create salary cap space, which serves as an essential element for its playoff contention this season.