Hamilton Named One of NHL's Top Defensemen

The Carolina Hurricanes have one of the National Hockey League's best defensive corps, a group that now includes one of the league's top 20 defensemen, according to NHL Network.
Dougie Hamilton ranks 18th on NHL Network's list of Top 20 NHL Defensemen Right Now, as
revealed in a Sunday night television special
.

The Canes acquired Hamilton from the Calgary Flames in a five-player, draft-day trade, a move that brought an offensive force to the team's blue line. Hamilton, 25, ranked tied for first among NHL defensemen with 17 goals in the 2017-18 season. Selected ninth overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Hamilton has tallied double-digit goals and at least 42 points in four consecutive seasons. The Toronto native has totaled 220 points (64g, 156a) in 423 games over six seasons with Boston and Calgary.

The right-shooting Hamilton now figures to be an integral part of the Hurricanes' top four on defense, whether he skates alongside Jaccob Slavin or Calvin de Haan, and he'll likely be a mainstay on the team's power play.
"I think they're a team on the rise," Hamilton said of the Canes, shortly after learning of the trade on June 23. "I'm excited to be a part of a young group … and help Carolina become a playoff team. It's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it."

No other members of the Canes' defense cracked the NHL Network's top 20 nor their short list of defensemen "on the bubble," though you certainly could make a strong case for any number of them, including Slavin, who received a fifth place Norris Trophy vote in 2017-18.
After naming the league's top 20 centers the week prior, NHL Network will continue their weekly countdowns leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season with their lists of the top 20 wings, top 20 goalies and top 50 players.
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