As the have recently taken care of a key piece of busine s by extending their defenseman of the future Luke Hughes to a 7 year $9 million deal, the question arrives to how that affects the rest of the Devils defense. One of particular note is the 32 year old Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton also makes $9 million, meaning 2 Devils defenders take up a combined $18 million in cap space. Hamilton's current deal does not expire until 2028. With that having been said, the long term of Hamilton in New Jersey appears murky as insiders Chris Johnston and Peter Baugh claim the situation warrants monitoring. Why could the Devils move Jake Bauers Jersey Hamilton? There are a couple of reasons why the Devils would consider moving on from Hamilton. As the defenseman ages past his prime, he is still a solid defender in the league as he recorded 9 goals and 31 a sists in 64 games for the Devils last season. However, he is no longer his past self and that will likely become more clear as the contract ages. Hamilton has also struggled to stay healthy as he has dealt with injuries throughout his tenure in Jersey. And with the recent Luke Hughes signing, Hamilton will no longer be expected to be the Devils top defenseman. Not to mention the young defenders waiting in the wings, such as Simon Nemec who will be in need of a new deal with the hopes he enjoys a breakout performance this season. Lastly, the Quinn Hughes elephant in the room has not even been brought up yet. If the Devils wish to unite the 3 Hughes brothers on their team that is going to take a lot of money to make work. Perhaps, moving Hamilton could make a future Quinn Hughes move more realistic. Justin Smoak Jersey