The Devils have locked up one of the biggest free agent signings in franchise history.
New Jersey now has a legit No. 1 defenseman, signing Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63 million deal on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. The deal was reported close earlier in the day, but was finally locked up after a negotiating process that was reportedly “a grind,” according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Hamilton’s contract reportedly has an AAV of $9 million.
One of the league’s top two-way defenseman, Hamilton scored 10 goals and logged 32 assists over 55 games last season, and scored a career-high 18 goals in his last full season that wasn’t shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Devils also parted with a defenseman, trading away Will Butcher and a fifth-round pick to the Sabres for future considerations.
New Jersey also bolstered its goaltending depth, signing 32-year-old Jonathan Bernier to a two-year deal. Bernier was part of the 2012 Kings team that beat the Devils in the Stanley Cup, and has played in 11 NHL seasons. He will be a part of a goalie tandem alongside Mackenzie Blackwood.
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