In a significant move ahead of the NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. The Canadiens sent two first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (16th and 17th overall) and forward Emil Heineman to the Islanders in exchange for the 25-year-old defenseman. Following the trade, the Canadiens signed Dobson to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million.
Dobson, drafted 12th overall by the Islanders in 2018, has played six seasons in the NHL. The Prince Edward Islander is a right-shot defenseman, a position of need for the Canadiens. After David Savard's retirement this offseason, Alexandre Carrier was the only remaining right-shot defenseman on Montreal's NHL roster. While prospects like David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are also right-handed shots, they appear to need more development time in the minor leagues.
"It's about making the team a whole lot better," said TSN 690 Host Sean Campbell. "This is step one... I don't think that they're done". Campbell believes the Canadiens are entering the next phase of their rebuild, which began three years ago, and that the team may add more pieces to reach the next level.
Dobson is coming off a season where he scored 10 goals and added 29 assists for 39 points in 71 games. While his production dipped from previous seasons, where he recorded back-to-back 13-goal seasons, he is still viewed as a valuable addition to the Canadiens' defensive core. In 2021-22 and 2022-23, Dobson had 13 goals each season, and in the 2023-24 season, he had a career-high 70 points in 79 games, with a +12 goal differential.
The acquisition of Dobson signals a shift for the Canadiens, who exceeded expectations last season by making the playoffs after a strong run following February's 4 Nations break. The team held top-five picks in the previous three NHL drafts. "They made the playoffs this year," Campbell stated. "The idea now is you make the playoffs, but now you have success in the playoffs".
The Islanders, in return, acquire two valuable first-round picks and a promising young forward in Emil Heineman. Heineman, a former second-round pick, played 62 games for the Canadiens last season, scoring 10 goals and 18 points. Some analysts believe the Islanders may use these picks to move up in the draft to select a top prospect.
