The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders for Emil Heineman and both the 16th and 17th overall picks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic confirms the deal is a sign-and-trade as Dobson signs an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually.
It will be interesting to see what Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche does with newly acquired Heineman and two additional 2025 first-round picks. The Islanders, who have been incredibly interested in Long Island-born James Hagens, may leverage the additional picks in a package to move into the top seven of the draft.
Dobson, 25, is coming off a season where his point production took a step back from his career-high 2023-24 season, posting 70 points (10G, 60A) in 79 games. The Summerside, Prince Edward Island-born defender posted 39 points (10G, 29A) in 71 games played for the Islanders this past season.
The 12th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft turned pro in the 2019-20 season, and everything looked promising for the young defender. He has won two QMJHL championships, one with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and one with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Dobson was also awarded the Guy Lafleur trophy in the Titans’ 2019 playoff run as the Playoff MVP. Dobson would go on to win the Memorial Cup in both appearances.
The 6-foot-4 right-shot defenseman has posted 230 points (50G, 180A) in 388 games. He’s established himself as one of the premier puck-moving defensemen in the NHL who can pass the puck to an excellent degree. Montreal also adds size and significant talent to their blueline, who can play highly physical when needed.
Dobson also brings 31 games of NHL Playoff experience; he’s only posted 10 assists/points in that time, but he’s been excellent for the Islanders on the blueline when he needed to be.
Montreal’s acquisition of Dobson ends a multi-year-long deadlock between the Islanders and Dobson. It also ends the multi-year-long trade rumours surrounding Dobson as he gets a fresh start in a Canadian city with a bright future ahead.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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