Hamilton has been downright horrid thus far.
With that being said, kid is 22 years old. Just got traded for the first time. Just signed a long, big money contract. Came in with heaps of expectations tossed on his shoulders.
At 22, Brodie had some downright awful times too. Giordano at 22? Heck, most defencemen at 22 aren't usually very good at all. Add all the circumstances on top of his age, as well as factoring-in that the entire team (mostly) is stinking up the joint, and you realize that the least you can do is give the kid a break.
He should be 'demoted' to the 4th line. Pair him with Engelland or Smid - one of those more 'steady stay at home types' (and yeah, I know they get crapped on too). Give him some easier match-ups. Let him adjust.
Horrid is not a strong enough word to describe his play. I think putrid fits, and it was getting worse by the shift last game.
With that being said, I actually very much still expect him to become an elite defencemen. He just needs to settle down a bit. He won't be an elite defencemen at 22. Probably not 23. I just think around the halfway mark of his contract, that is where I expect him to start being one.
People calling him the next Bouwmeester? I will take that, though I know they are implying that would be terrible. Bouwmeester under Brent Sutter was putrid. Consistently. Bouwmeester under Hartley blossomed and was a legitimate top-pairing defender. Yep, another tall, smooth-skating guy without much of a physical presence? That's ok. I don't expect him to lay guys out with open-ice hits, or replace Regehr's Tunnel of Death. Hamilton - like Bouwmeester did - will learn how to be more physical in front of the net and not allow himself to be so easily blocked out. You have to fight for that space, and as a defencemen, you need to learn that it is YOUR space that an opposing forward is fighting you for. He will learn soon enough in this western conference - and without the other more physical and large D from Boston doing it for him - that he needs to adjust his battle-level (it is 3am, and my mind is not working really well right now). I don't ever think he will become a physically punishing defencemen, but he will learn over time that he needs to be much more difficult to play against. Kid will get there.
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