Source: Devils secure Hamilton with 7-year deal

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s national NHL reporter.

The New Jersey Devils agreed to a contract with free-agent defenseman Dougie Hamilton on Wednesday.

Hamilton, one of the largest prizes in this free-agent class, signed a seven-year deal with a $9 million average annual value, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Hamilton, 28, had 10 goals and 42 points last season for the Carolina Hurricanes, who advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He has the size (6-foot-6, 227 pounds), defensive game and offensive numbers to be a No. 1 blueliner on any team in the league and can contribute on the top power-play unit, needs that New Jersey clearly has as it continues its rebuild.

The Devils largely have youth and inexperience on the blue line, and Hamilton, coming off a six-year contract with a cap hit of $5.75 million per season, should head right to the top of the depth chart. Though New Jersey also has former All-Star P.K. Subban on its roster at a hefty $9 million price tag, the veteran has only one more year remaining on that deal.

New Jersey has not made the postseason since 2018, when it lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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