I think Hamilton is a very useful player and a player you want on your team. I do question if he's suited to top pairing duties as his solution to getting beat tends to be to grab on and hope there's no penalty. I don't see why you couldn't get more out of Hamilton in a second pairing role. His biggest strengths come on the cycle in the offensive zone - it's more about having him out there with the top forwards than about having him out there with Giordano.
I think Brodie's a better transition and defensive player than Hamilton - and in fact the Giordano-Brodie pairing had better numbers strictly defensively despite playing tougher minutes than the Giordano-Hamilton pairing. I think that pairing allowed Giordano to be a better player and it allowed Brodie to a better player (partially because Brodie should play the right and partially because, as Treliving put it:
Anyways. The issue comes down to this: Can Hamilton carry a pairing on his own? He has
historically failed pretty miserably on pairs with Russell, Jokipakka, and in smaller sample sizes hasn't had much success with Kulak either. He's spent almost his entire career partnered with Chara or Giordano.
Perhaps the Flames don't want to split up Gio-Dougie because they don't believe Hamilton can anchor a pair, but do believe Brodie can (Brodie has had success partnered with Russell, Stone, and Engelland. In fact Two of those three pairings were the pairings Brodie played in either playoff series with where he was one of our best players, and the Russell-Brodie pairing actually posted better goal differentials than the Giordano-Brodie pairing).
But one option that tends to be uncharted waters is the Brodie-Hamilton pairing. I think Brodie is a player who thrives on the right side, so it isn't my preference, but there are some merits to this pairing:
1) Have Giordano-Hamonic be a pair, which they already are on the penalty kill. Have them take the tough matchups. Giordano is a strong goal scorer, which I think is a better fit for a partner like Hamonic who can't score from the point, and also opens up Gio to be more offensively inclined. I think having Hamonic be a puck rusher on his pair plays more to his skillset than having him play with a puck rusher and constantly second-guessing himself.
2) The Brodie-Hamilton pair has actually been pretty successful in limited sample size. They have strong metrics:
Brodie-Hamilton - 162.45 minutes / 52.45% CF / 61.79 % GF
Maybe that GF% would trend downwards, but these are very good numbers. While having one strong CF% pairing is nice for writing an article, having a truly strong top four is probably more vital to winning games. If this is the pair out there when Giordano is not, I believe depth scoring would be more balanced.
3) It makes sense in many ways. Hamilton drives shot attempts for, both players are strong shot suppressors, and Brodie is an elite playmaker. Brodie is a passing defenseman and Hamilton a gunner. It actually has the potential to be a Keith-Seabrook type elite pairing. people forget that while those two were lighting it up offensively, it was usually Campbell(/Oduya)-Hjalmarsson handling the hardcore shutdown minutes. When Burns won the Norris, it was usually Vlasic-Braun handling those minutes. Neither Brodie nor Hamilton would have to be "carrying" the pairing so to speak.
4) This opens up a transition into a post-Giordano era - it's almost unbelievable how good he was at 34 years old but that's also terrifying. We don't know what Valimaki, Kulak, or Kylington are capable of - but we have seen Brodie handle top flight minutes and excel. It's short-sighed AF to not consider the possibility that a 30 year old Brodie and a 27 year old Hamilton are the next top pair in the NHL. You trade from a position of strength. I am a huge Kulak fan but what is the likelyhood he ever has a 40 point season in the NHL never mind 50? Likewise for the prospects. You can't put your eggs in that basket - producing offensively from the backend is not easily projectable as even strong producers at lower levels end up being defensive Dmen at this level. And you can't put your eggs in the Travis "11 points" Hamonic basket for that role.
Personally I see no reason to trade Hamilton or Brodie. We need a RW yes, but there are more solutions than hitting the panic button. Don't forget that two seasons ago Versteeg came in and pretty much fixed the power play. You can't underestimate PP specialists like that - Gagner, Versteeg, etc. If Ferland is giving you 20+ goals at ES and Versteeg or a Versteeg type is getting your PP in the top 10 playing that role, not having a "true #1RW" is purely academic. They shouldn't stop trying to acquire one at the right price, but trading for the sake of a trade is, as Tre put it, filling one hole and creating another.