Mathieu Darche has made his first major move to better his New York Islanders’ position ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday night, trading star defenseman Noah Dobson just hours before they go on the clock with the No. 1 pick to the Montreal Canadiens.
In return, the Islanders are receiving the No. 16 and No. 17 overall picks in tonight’s first round, along with 23-year-old left-winger Emil Heineman.
Darche is not expected to hold on to either or both of those picks, though, as he is looking to leverage those picks in hopes of acquiring a top-10 selection to nab Boston College center and Long Island native James Hagens.
Dobson, who was a restricted free agent and reportedly asking for a contract as rich as $11 million annually, has signed an eight-year, $9.5 million extension with the Canadiens.
The 25-year-old was once deemed a franchise cornerstone who would anchor the blue line for at least the next decade—even potentially wearing the captain’s “C” one day. He was drafted 12th overall in 2018 and made his NHL debut just one year later.
In 388 games with New York, he scored 50 goals with 180 assists, including a 70-point campaign two years ago that made him the first Islander since Hall-of-Famer Denis Potvin in 1983-84 to record that many points in a single season.
Darche’s trading of Dobson made it clear that there was no avenue for successful negotiations on a long-term deal that would have kept the Canadian blue liner on Long Island.
While the trades better Darche’s war chest, Heineman becomes a bottom-six option in New York, recording 10 goals last season while averaging only a little over 11 minutes of ice time per game.
For more on Noah Dobson and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com
