Reports surfaced on Saturday that New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton blocked a trade to the San Jose Sharks over the summer.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported Hamilton’s blocking of a trade during Sportsnet’s weekly Saturday Headlines segment. Unrest between the Devils and Hamilton appeared to have begun around the time Quinn Hughes was being traded. While the Sharks might not have been in the market for Hughes, interest in Hamilton made perfect sense.

At 6’6 and right-handed, the Sharks clearly were in the market for an offensive defenseman like Hamilton over the summer. Adding a d-man who shoots a lot, can run a power play with top players, and is reliable defensively, is precisely what Mike Grier was looking for. Hamilton’s trade protection allowed him to block the trade, but Friedman wondered if the Sharks’ recent success might have changed his mind.

“Now, the way it’s going for the Sharks, maybe he changes his mind,” Friedman said.

SHD reached out to Hamilton’s agent for clarification on whether, in fact, Hamilton has changed his thoughts on the San Jose Sharks, considering the growing unrest with the Devils.

“It was last summer that there was interest. Not even sure that still exists as a possibility anymore,” Hamilton’s agent J.P. Barry told SHD.

Hamilton will be a healthy scratch for the Devils on Sunday in what Barry says is “all about business.”

Reached out to Dougie Hamilton’s agent J.P. Barry. His response:
“Dougie was informed today that he will be not be playing now that Kovacevic is back in the lineup. In our view,
this decision is all about business rather than his game right now. Singling him out seems very…

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 10, 2026

While the San Jose Sharks certainly have the trade assets to acquire Hamilton from the New Jersey Devils, it might not make sense. Not only would the Sharks potentially have to move a decent prospect, but maybe some draft capital as well. The Devils wanted to clear cap space to not only acquire Hughes but also to extend him eventually.

In any trade involving Hamilton, the Devils will want to fully shed his $9 million AAV contract, which lasts through 2027-28. The Sharks’ playoff push likely means some small additions at the NHL’s Trade Deadline, but it doesn’t appear Hamilton is in the cards anymore.

He might not be in the cards either due to continued low interest in being traded to the Sharks, or if the Sharks feel he would be the right fit after 44 games this season.

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