Hurricanes GM gives update on Dougie Hamilton extension talks

Though the Carolina Hurricanes and Dougie Hamilton have paused their extension talks, it makes a lot of sense for both parties to wait.

The Carolina Hurricanes came into this season in sort of a “win now” mode. With star defenseman Dougie Hamilton set to be a free agent after the 2020-21 season and head coach Rod Brind’amour needing an extension, the best chance for them to win is right now. The Hurricanes are living up to their hype, as they enter March 23 in second place in the Discover Central Division.

Though an extension with Brind’Amour seems quite likely, talks with Hamilton haven’t gone as planned. The two sides, according to Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell, have tabled their extension talks with Hamilton.

Here’s what Waddell had to say in a recent interview with TSN‘s Frank Seravalli.

"“I truly think Dougie wants to stay here. We’ve decided that it would be best for both us to just wait until the end of the year, let’s sit down and see if we can hammer out a deal, put it on the back-burner so Dougie can worry about playing hockey at this point.”"

NHL Rumors: Will Dougie Hamilton get an extension in Carolina?

Though it’s obviously not ideal that Hamilton hasn’t inked a new contract yet, this isn’t overly surprising for several reasons.

First of all, Hamilton will be the best defenseman on the open market by a significant margin. Even with a flat salary cap, there will be a long list of teams interested in signing the gifted defenseman. Hamilton enters March 23 tied for sixth in the league in points among defensemen with 25 points in 31 games while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per game. His price tag will continue to rise as he continues to play well, so why sign now?

Secondly, the expansion draft is probably factoring into the Canes decision to curb their extension talks with Hamilton. Because the Seattle Kraken will have their expansion draft before free agency, teams will be able to expose their soon to be free agents to the Kraken. The Hurricanes will have to make some very tough decisions come this offseason. Holding off on signing Hamilton until after the expansion draft will give them one less tough decision to make.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if numerous soon to be free agents re-sign with their teams immediately after the expansion draft. There will be deals under the table and handshake agreements as teams try to protect as many good players as they can.

Of course, there is a bit of risk in leaving someone like Hamilton exposed. What if the Kraken select Hamilton and offer him a better deal than the Hurricanes offer? Keep in mind, handshake agreements are not legally binding.

In the end, halting extension talks is probably the best move for both parties. It allows the Hurricanes to wait and see what they’re going to do to navigate the rough waters of the expansion draft. At the same time, it allows Hamilton to focus on playing hockey at an elite level. If I were a betting man (and I am not one), I’d wager Hamilton will agree to an extension with the Hurricanes right after the expansion draft.