The Red Wings signed right-shot defenseman Travis Hamonic to a one-year, one-way contract. The Manitoba native will earn $1MM with no potential performance bonuses, as he missed the age cutoff for a 35+ contract by a few weeks.
Hamonic, who turns 35 tomorrow, was a second-round pick of the Islanders in 2008. While he was a top-four fixture out of the gate for them, subsequent stops with the Flames, Canucks, and Senators since his departure from New York in 2017 have seen his game slowly trail off as he aged.
That was especially true over the last two seasons. Ottawa had acquired Hamonic from Vancouver near the 2022 trade deadline and inked him to a two-year, $2.2MM contract in the summer of 2023 after his first full season in the Canadian capital saw him produce 21 points in 75 games while averaging 18:34 of ice time per night.
Immediately after signing the deal, though, Hamonic’s game dropped below replacement level. Over the life of the deal, during which a no-movement clause prohibited the Sens from waiving him, he played 107 games with 13 points, a -26 rating, and averaged only 16 minutes per game. His possession impacts, particularly in 2023-24, were among the worst in the league. That year, he had a -10% relative Corsi impact at even strength despite starting the majority of his shifts in the offensive zone. In total, Ottawa was outscored 77-44 and outchanced 787-635 with Hamonic on the ice at 5-on-5 in the last two years.
Given the Red Wings’ possession struggles, that makes Hamonic a peculiar fit, particularly on a guaranteed deal with a seven-figure cap hit when he was likely approaching PTO territory. Jack Johnson, a veteran lefty with similarly underwhelming impacts in a similar role, recently settled for a tryout with the Wild.
Detroit already has a wealth of No. 5-7 caliber veterans on its roster, including Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl. Right-shot depth was a bit of a concern for them with Holl and Jacob Bernard-Docker as their only experienced options behind core piece Moritz Seider, but Hamonic presumably slots in behind both of them on their depth chart as he battles for a roster spot in camp. It’s worth noting his $1MM cap hit is below the maximum buriable threshold, so he wouldn’t carry a cap penalty for the Wings if they placed him on waivers for assignment to AHL Grand Rapids.
The wild card on Detroit’s right side is 2023 first-rounder Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The offensive-minded righty will be playing in North America this season, but whether his development would be best served by some AHL time or immediate top-four deployment in the NHL remains to be seen. He’s still only 20 years old and had one assist and a -3 rating in five regular-season and playoff games for Grand Rapids at the end of last season, but given their lack of other top-four capable options, they might not have much of a choice.
Detroit has four standard contract slots remaining after signing Hamonic.
Image courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Contract can be buried if they should find someone better.
Exactly, you have 2 teams to fill out. Sending him to the AHL wipes out his 1 million cap. Good veteran for the Griffins and if somehow he gets a second life then win win.
Watch the winged wheel continue to spin, And spin, Making while gaining zero traction.
Whoever this guy’s agent is deserves applause and admiration. Getting paid nearly the same as the past two years to be a black hole on defense.
The yzerplan is off the tracks. I’ve never seen one team bring in so many mediocre defencemen year after year in free agency
He throws a dart and signs the one that sticks. Unfortunately, Yzerman is not good at darts.
What makes it all even worse is he seems to trade any defenseman who could at least be serviceable. Walman, Hronek, and Maatta all would improve Detroit’s 2nd pairing.
Hronek saved a lot of money and turned into ASP which could be a huge win, the other two are big misses.
Walman is a locker room cancer that is why he does not last long with teams he has been with and there is problems in Edmonton with him and Hronek had 2 good year in Vancouver and he is pair with a top D in the league with Hughes and in Detroit his contract was up and he was looking for 7 plus million a year and a non trade clause and Vancouver gave him 8 years and 58 million and no trade clause at 7.25 million a year on the cap and when he was not paired with Hughes he was a average player
You’re going to have to post some links on him being a locker room cancer, otherwise it’s just baseless speculation.
So a career over .50/PPG defenceman (with or without Hughes) is considered an average player? A defenceman of any calibre that can even play and keep up with a player of Hughes ilk? That’s an average player? Your expectations are quite high there my friend…
It’s not that hard to notice someone is a tool.
If Yzerman wanted to donate money he could have easily given to the city of Detroit for the politicians to steal just like Hamonic is right now.
The epitome of mid
The last year his relative Corsi was positive was in 2010-11. Not sure what he brings to the Red Wings except more misery.
So unimpressed with the job Yzerman has done in Detroit.
Good lord!
Where’s Brian Lashoff when we need him! Dump the puck in, dump the puck out.
Yzerman continues to essentially buy himself job security by convincing Chris Ilitch that “it’s a process”. Which is his way of saying to Chris Ilitch, give me another 5-year contract while you’re at it.
The sad thing is, if he were to get fired they would probably give the job to Draper which would be a mistake as well. All he cares about is guys “who’s motor is always running.”
Red Wings are having a brutal summer. As a Sens fan, I wouldn’t take back Hamonic for free. He was such a liability when he was out there for us.
Chris Ilitch needs to cleanse the organization from former Red Wings players. Yzerman, Yzerman’s brother, Draper, Fischer. Maltby, etc. He’s too loyal.
And this “Do things the Red Wings way”. It’s not working. Keep Lidstrom and Kronwall in their roles. Get rid of the rest. Make Shawn Horcoff the GM.
Yzerman overthinks. Cossa should have been up here by now. This idea that he needs more “seasoning” in GR is just stupid.
So get rid of everyone but Horcoff, Lidstrom, and Kronwall? LOL what? If you want to “cleanse the organization” that means everyone. And no Cossa would’ve been lit up by NHL talent this past year. Look at any of the goalies drafted around the timeframe he had been, none of them are regulars yet.
Along with the Jim Gregory award there should be a Ron Hextall / Mike Milbury award.
In the absence of which, how about a poll “who is the worst GM in the NHL right now?”.
“hE SHOuld haVE traDeD fOR QuINn HuGHes!”
So all the rumors about Erik Karlsson must have been a lie ?
Its summer, its all lies so reporters have something to do. If you listen to Legoman or Heavy you will get dumber by the minute.
Unless some of our higher paid “stars” step up this coming season and perform at their contracted levels, this season is going to be yet another struggle to remain above the 500 mark.