The New York Islanders have traded defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for the 16th and 17th overall picks in the 2025 NHL Draft and forward Emil Heineman.
Dobson, a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, and the Islanders failed to come to a contract extension. There were reports that Dobson and his representatives wanted upwards of $11 million per season. Dobson ended up signing an eight-year extension worth $9.5 million annually following the trade to Montreal.
Drafted 12th overall in 2018, Dobson recorded 39 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 71 games in 2024-25. In his breakout 2023-24 season, Dobson had 10 goals and 60 assists.
The 25-year-old played 388 games for the Islanders, recording 230 points with 50 goals and 180 assists, averaging 20:53 per game.
The Islanders will now likely try to move both the 16th and 17th overall picks to get into the top five. With Matthew Schaefer likely selected first overall by the Islanders, General Manager Mathieu Darche has now set his sights on James Hagens. The Long Island native and Islanders fan has made it known that he wants to be drafted by his hometown team. The Islanders may have the pieces to make it happen.
The other piece in this deal for the Islanders, 23-year-old Emil Heineman, has now been traded three times. He was traded to Calgary by Florida with a 2nd-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for Sam Bennett and a 6th-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Then traded to Montreal by Calgary with Tyler Pitlick, a 1st-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a 5th-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft for Tyler Toffoli. You get a little leery when a young player has been traded multiple times. Heineman had ten goals and eight assists in 62 games with the Canadiens last season. He likely projects as a bottom-six forward. His value to the Islanders could be in the form of a trade chip.
The Islanders have just under $21M in cap space. Heineman is a restricted free agent. Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom, and Maxim Tsyplakov head the class.
