Perhaps New York Islanders star defenseman Noah Dobson is not untouchable, after all.
A report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that new general manager Mathieu Darche is “quietly shopping” the 25-year-old blue liner, who is a restricted free agent this summer.
Just days prior, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Dobson’s camp is looking for a contract that pays him $11 million annually, which would make him one of the richest defensemen in the league despite coming off a season of significant regression, as he accrued just 39 points and posted a minus-16 rating.
Whether that is a product of the difficulty of acclimating to head coach Patrick Roy’s system or not, it is a significant ask if true, even if Dobson still is deemed to have a remarkably high ceiling. Just last season, in 2023-24, he became the first Islanders defenseman since Hall-of-Famer Denis Potvin in 1983-84 to record 70 or more points in a season (10 goals, 60 assists).
What a difference a year makes, as he was viewed by many to be a cornerstone of the Islanders’ future. So why shop him now?
There are a few hypothetical reasons why.
With less than a week to go until the 2025 NHL Draft, in which New York has the No. 1 overall pick and is likely to take the highly-touted 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the rumor mill has been in overdrive suggesting that Darche is looking to trade back up into the top 10 to potentially draft Long Island native and Boston College forward James Hagens.
Including Dobson in a package to get that pick would be more than enough. But is it worth dealing a proven player coming off a bad year for a prospect? That is a significant gamble, but one that would be somewhat more justified if negotiations on an extension proved immovable and if that pick was a part of a package that provided the Islanders with considerable NHL-ready talent.
Exploring the trade market now could also help Darche prove his point to Dobson’s camp that he is not worth the $11 million AAV price tag. Having to give up significant assets just for exclusive negotiating rights for a player asking for an exorbitant pay day is not a great sell to opposing general managers, and that is something Darche could potentially bring to the negotiating table if needed.
The next week will set the tone of the Islanders’ plans with Dobson, as the Islanders have until June 30 to submit a qualifying offer if an extension is not worked out. If Dobson signs it, the two sides have a one-year band-aid that would have to be ripped off next summer. If he rejects it, other teams can submit offer sheets, which gives New York the opportunity to either match it or let him walk elsewhere — and an $11 million AAV offer sheet, for now, would be unlikely, to say the least. Should no offer sheets come, Dobson would have until Dec. 1 to work out a deal or else he would be ineligible to play for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, which also would give Darche the luxury of an abundance of time to work something out.
