Devils Stay Quiet at Trade Deadline, Hamilton & Nemec Remain

0:00For the NHL, it's March 10th. Here's what's happening. The New Jersey devil surprised many fans by staying quiet at last Friday's NHL trade deadline. They were expected to make moves, with rumors swirling about veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton and young blue lineers Simon Nimic. In the end, both stayed put for the rest of the season. Hamilton, a 32-year-old with a $9 million average annual value through the 27-28 season, proved tough to move. Analysts pointed to his upcoming $7.4 million signing bonus on July 1st as a big hurdle. Teams might wait until after that to pursue him seriously this summer. Meanwhile, experts like Elliott Friedman speculated about a possible deal to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That would have needed salary retention and cap gymnastics, plus Toronto on Hamilton's 10-team trade list. Still, no deal happened. For Nimic, the 22-year-old on his entry-level deal, the devil's fielded offers for a young top 6 forward.

1:00He set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and recently switched agents, possibly eyeing a pact like teammate Luke Hughes 7-year. $63 million contract. Pierre LeBroom thinks Nimic is more tradable than Hamilton come summer. San Jose's Mike Greer shot down rumors of offering William Ecklin for him, though the sharks eyed Hamilton last year. Expect more action when the off-season hits. The Daily News Now is powered by a sponsor, link in the description. It looks like a pillow. It sounds like headphones, built for comfort and sound, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com.