Bruins' Julien: 'Unfortunate' Hamilton wanted to be among top-paid defensemen

Claude Julien believes Dougie Hamilton wanted too much, too soon.

After seeing the talented 22-year-old defenseman sent to the Calgary Flames on Friday, the Boston Bruins head coach lamented Hamilton's desire to be paid among the NHL's elite.

"I find it very unfortunate that players that have played maybe three years in the league, all of a sudden they’€™re looking to be up there with the top-paid players," he said, according to DJ Bean of WEEI. "I prefer it the other way, where they work their way up: years of service and everything else."

The Bruins' offers to the restricted free agent did not exceed $6 million per season, a source told Bean.

Julien, however, admitted Hamilton was well within his rights to seek the best possible deal, despite the fact it meant shipping him out of town.

"He’€™s entitled to do what he did. I’€™m not standing here blaming him at all," he said. "Would we like to have kept him? I think we would have liked to have kept Dougie Hamilton. He’€™s a good promising young player, but you move on."

Move on they will, but losing a rising star is never easy.