Boston Bruins’ Hamilton Decision Still Makes Sense
It doesn’t mean much, but count me as still in favor of the Boston Bruins not ‘Doing the Dougie’.
Sorry, but I don’t think he’s as good as everyone was saying back in late June when he was traded. And he definitely would not be worth $7.5 million a year.
At the time, when general manager Don Sweeney traded away both Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic without using the capital from his draft-picks to improve the current team, there was some speculation surfacing that Sweeney wouldn’t improve from Peter Chiarelli. Then came Jul. 1, when Sweeney signed Matt Beleskey and traded for Jimmy Hayes, while also sending off a deflated on-ice Reilly Smith in the process. If Sweeney didn’t land these guys, he would have easily set the B’s back. But before all that, on Jun. 26, there was that comical Adam McQuaid contract of four-years, $11 million extension. A month old, you still have to ask, what were they thinking?
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Chiarelli may have left Boston, but his notorious overpaying/overvaluing remained for that McQuaid deal at least. Why can’t the Bruins understand that you cannot spend $2.75 million per year on bottom-of-the-roster players? Poor cap management, folks.
In this league, when you overpay the bottom of your roster, you can’t afford the top of the roster. It’s been a complicated theory to grasp in Boston over the years – Smith’s two-year extension worth $6.85 million back in March, Chris Kelly making $3 million this year, etc. McQuaid’s grit and accountability is needed on every team. But not for that price. McQuaid is a $1 million player, not $2.75 million per year guaranteed. Kevan Miller is an $800,000 player and gives the Bruins toughness and that blue-collar D-man. That sounds a lot like McQuaid to me. McQuaid’s plus-minus was minus-2 last year. Millar’s was plus-20.
McQuaid’s contract was awful. About as bad as Smith’s mid-year extension last season. It’s moves like these that get the Bruins in trouble down the road.
Back to Hamilton. I’m not sure he was the future star the hockey media projected him to be in Boston. Right now, regardless of his new home in Calgary, I can’t see Hamilton being a franchise player down the road. And it’s not just because of his softness.
Hamilton was a nice versatile player. But where in his game was Hamilton ever elite? I get that he’s 22-year-old, but let’s remember, teams dubbed him a $7.5 million defenseman. That’s no 22-year-old salary for player of his caliber to me, which is why we can judge Hamilton this way. Sure he has size. Sure he has good legs, but when did it ever assure us that Hamilton would work well in a more active defense? Was he mobile, like Torey Krug, of course. But did he ever rub off as durable?
What’s also interesting is how hometown writers were able to think so highly of Hamilton with such a small sample size. He’s a 22-year-old and was already touted the next Victor Hedman. Yeah, Hedman wasn’t projected to be Victor Hedman three years in like Hamilton. Drew Doughty looked like Drew Doughty in year three. Third in Norris voting in his second year. Fifth in Calder voting as a rookie. Hamilton finished 11th in Calder voting. Krug finished fourth in Calder voting his first full year. If we use our eyes and see that Krug is an offensive-defenseman, we understand why he hasn’t received any Norris votes. Hamilton, who is much more of an all-around defenseman, has yet to receive a Norris vote in three years in the league.
We know Hamilton is a better defenseman than Krug. Krug scores and is a power play mainstay (12 goals last year – 2 pp goals, plus-13). Hamilton was slightly better on the pp last year (10 goals – 5 pp goals, minus-2). For the sake of argument, look at their points per game stats for their careers. Krug has a .51 pts. per game. Hamilton has a .47.
But we all know, Hamilton still the better player. The numbers can give false leads. Back in June, when the Hamilton debate was in full swing, everyone wanted to stack up his stats with Doughty and guys like Alex Pietrangelo. The numbers are why Krug looks better than Hamilton in plus-minus, goals, and pts. per game.
When I watch the games, I see Hamilton play the game the way he does. I just can’t see his name become synonymous with a Drew Doughty or Victor Headmen. In fact, Hamilton just hasn’t given the spark yet that tells me he’s ever going to be the franchise defenseman those two men are.
Who knows what’s in store for Hamilton in Calgary. He’ll be the teams highest-paid defenseman next season, and possibly for years to come. That’s a Calgary team with T.J. Brodie, who makes $4,650,400 next year. He’s 25, had a plus-15 last year, scored 11 goals (3 pp goals), and an ATOI of 25:12 last year. Hamilton’s ATOI was 21:20.
All I know is, McQuaid is here for another four years, and Hamilton is still a wait and see player to me.