Rumors of defenseman Dougie Hamilton being traded is not going to go away anytime soon. It is close to a couple of months since the NHL season kicked off, and you can be sure that Dougie Hamilton of the Calgary Flames continue to dominate rumor mills among pundits and gains inches in newspaper columns concerning his future that might involve a different team than that of the one whom he is playing for at the moment.
The 23-year old defenseman did not really kick off the season with the Calgary Flames in a roaring fashion, where he was pointless during a dry spell that consisted of 10 games, and this barren period was from October 30th all the way to November 18. To look at the bigger picture, Hamilton managed to pick up a mere half dozen points in his first 19 games. Some time last month, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos did have some doubts that the Calgary Flames were about to sell their rearguard, although he did make claims about both the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins “kicking tires.”
Hamilton did also make mention to the Calgary's Sun's Wes Gilbertson, citing that it has reached his ears about the various trade rumors which were swirling around his name, but he would prefer to concentrate on the aspect of improving his game instead. Hamilton also insisted that he was pretty content at where he is at the moment, and would like to do his bit in order to improve the Flames’ position in the league table.
Despite Hamilton’s improved production in recent games, picking up six points in six games, there continues to be talk about him being traded. The Calgary Flames’ president of hockey operations, Brian Burke, is not too pleased with all of the trade talks that are going on at the moment. In fact, Burke has dismissed word of such rumors whenever he was approached about it, which sends a pretty strong signal to the rest that Hamilton is going to stay, and he is not about to be traded off anywhere else.
Burke shared, “We expended a tremendous amount of assets to get this player. We’re really happy with him. He’s a quality guy. ... He’s a right shot. He skates like a deer. He’s a good hockey player. Yeah, let’s move him. Let’s get rid of him. It’s not hard to get guys like that."
There has been some speculation in recent times that linked the Maple Leafs to Dougie Hamilton, although it must be noted that there has been no substantive talks that went on between the two clubs. There were several observers out there who have faith that the Maple Leafs ought to dangle the carrot of a promising winger known as William Nylander in exchange for Hamilton, but as to whether that is going to become a reality or not, it remains to be seen. All trade rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt no matter how likely they might sound until an official announcement is made.
