It’s Draft day, and the news is coming in fast. There was plenty of smoke about Noah Dobson and whether he would be traded or not before the draft. And as they say, when there’s smoke, there’s fire, and the New York Islanders traded the defenseman to the Montreal Canadiens, who subsequently extended with an eight-year deal at a $9.5 million average annual value (AAV).
The return in the trade, per multiple sources, is the two first-round selections the Canadiens have in this draft, plus Emil Heineman, a 23-year-old forward who is emerging as a depth scorer. There’s a lot to unpack, so here are three things to keep in mind following the Dobson deal.
1. Dobson Was The Expendable Defenseman
The assumption is that the Islanders will take Matthew Schaefer with the top pick. Whether he’s ready by opening night or even this season, as a 17-year-old defenseman, is up for debate. However, by taking him, they have a puck-handling two-way defenseman who has the ceiling to play 25 minutes of ice time or more at an elite level.
He plays the opposite side as Dobson, but the same role. It’s why Islanders general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche saw him as the defenseman to trade. Alexander Romanov, meanwhile, is the stay-at-home option who, like Dobson, is also a restricted free agent (RFA). Now, Darche can build the defense around him and Schaefer when the top pick is ready. Moreover, Isaiah George will likely be a regular on the defense next season. So, while the unit will miss their top two-way player, they have a path forward without him.
This also gives the Islanders extra cap space to work with. Darche can re-sign the other RFAs on the team and possibly bring in another player in free agency. Flexibility is the key word here, leading to the next takeaway.
2. Darche Can Retool or Rebuild, But He’s Not Competing This Season
The return gave Darche two first round picks and Heineman. The Islanders entered this offseason staring at a fork in the road; they could either try to remain competitive with a strong core leading the way, or retool and use next season as a “take your medicine” one to clean up the mess Lou Lamoriello left for them.
With this trade, the Islanders aren’t a better team now than they were before. They must replace Dobson, and they don’t have an answer next season. Darche, however, gave them the option to either retool on the fly or look at a long-term rebuild. Heineman is a young NHL-ready player who adds depth to the forward unit, and with the extra picks, they can build up the farm system in the process. Or, they can look at a longer-term rebuild, especially if Darche moves up in the draft to grab another prospect, like James Hagens.
3. Canadiens Are The Sleeping Giants in the Eastern Conference
After making the playoffs last season as a wild card team, the Canadiens entered the offseason with the sky is the limit belief. They have a young core that’s only getting better, a great farm system, plenty of draft assets, and cap space. The only question was what move they would make.
The first big one is landing Dobson. Lane Hutson is the reigning Calder Trophy winner, and the Canadiens have a handful of reliable defenseman rounding out the unit but needed that extra spark. Dobson gives them that as he’s another two-way player on their blue line who can play a top-pair role.
Suddenly, the Canadiens have a team built to compete for the Cup next season. The forward unit has the star power with Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky leading the way (plus Ivan Demidov is joining them as a regular). The defense doesn’t have a glaring weakness, and now has another two-way player to open up the offense along with Hutson. Better yet, they still have the cap space to make a splash and a few prospects (looking at you, Logan Mailloux) to make another blockbuster deal.
For years, the Florida Panthers were seen as the sleeping giant of the NHL. Now that they’ve woken up, it’s hard to see anyone beating them. A team that’s been eager for a contender for years was the Canadiens, and this was a team that once they found their footing, would become a juggernaut. Now they have, and they look like a team on the rise that’s only getting better. The Dobson trade sends the message that they are ready to contend with the best in the Eastern Conference, and more moves will only confirm it.
