Dougie Hamilton is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 28. Before that date, however, the 28-year-old defenseman can gauge his popularity among NHL general managers.
On June 14, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Carolina Hurricanes gave Hamilton permission to speak to other teams.
This is a unique opportunity for him and his agent to scour the market well before its opening date. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, impending unrestricted free agents had a five- to seven-day interview window to speak with other clubs before the market opened. However, that was eliminated when the CBA was extended in 2020.