NHL Trade Grades for Noah Dobson to Canadiens Deal

The Montreal Canadiens have been marinating in a rebuild for some time. Last season's surprise playoff appearance notwithstanding, they still sit in the bottom tier of the NHL. With some of their younger players integrated into the league, management would like to push the organization into a more competitive territory.

Meanwhile, New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche is hitting the reset button on a franchise that needs a facelift in all aspects of the organization. Moving on from Noah Dobson is a radical decision and completely changes the complexion of not only the roster, but perhaps what the team's five-year plan looks like.

Were the Habs right to splurge for Dobson? Are the Islanders officially in a rebuild? Let's analyze the trade and assign grades to both teams.

New York Islanders

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Changes and fresh blood are needed on Long Island, but the main source of rot was the number of aging players on long-term contracts. We're talking about the over-30 genre. Dobson is just 25 years old and on the upswing.

The Islanders found themselves at a crossroads with Dobson, a restricted free agent who was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2026. If they could not commit long-term to him now, then moving him while they still had leverage was the route to go.

Emil Heineman, 23, is a left winger whom the Panthers selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft. The Finnish forward scored 10 goals in 62 games as a rookie last season, but his calling is the more rustic parts of hockey. He pressures pucks on the forecheck and plays a physical game along the walls.

Heineman is also a good defensive winger. He's ready for a full-time NHL role and should fit in on the Islanders' third line as a checking-line winger who gets around the net enough to chip in 15 goals.

Should the Islanders have moved on from Dobson? It's tough to say. The $9.5 million he took willingly to go to Montreal is not the number he would have settled for to stay on Long Island. On a working premise that the Islanders had to cut bait, the 16th and 17th overall picks plus an NHL-ready young winger with third-line abilities is a decent return.

We'll also have to wait to see if Darche can now parlay those picks into a lottery pick that will enable them to draft hometown hero James Hagens, who is almost sure to be gone after the first six or seven picks of the first round.

The Islanders now have bigger existential questions to answer. They were already expected to embark on a youth movement, but Dobson is 25 years old and was their best defenseman. It's difficult to see their route to becoming particularly good anytime soon.

The Islanders may have to accept the situation for what it is, blow up the roster and embrace a true rebuild.

Grade: B-

Montreal Canadiens

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Jeff Gorton, Martin St. Louis and Kent Hughes

The Canadiens need high-end talent at just about every position, but perhaps none more than defense. As good as Lane Hutson is, he's an offensive specialist. Montreal needs a true all-situations lynchpin, preferably one on the right side of the ice.

Dobson is about as good an acquisition as the Montreal faithful could have hoped for in that regard.

Dobson is 6'4" and skates like the wind. He's not an elite quarterback in the offensive zone like Quinn Hughes or Adam Fox, but he's been safe for 10-15 goals and 50-60 points every season, peaking at 70 points in 2023-24.

That's in part because of his above-average offensive zone acumen, but also an aggregate result of his ability to drive play for his team. With his speed and poise, Dobson is excellent at collecting pucks and starting breakouts, often carrying the puck by himself.

Dobson is a solid defensive player with the size and speed to handle tough matchups and kill plays, but he hasn't fully hit his potential there. He benefited from having Ryan Pulock taking tough assignments on Long Island. He'll now presumably be the choice to match up against top players in Montreal.

It will be interesting to see if the Habs' coaching staff can turn him into a top shutdown defenseman. He has the toolbox to become Ryan McDonagh-like in a system and with mentors who can get the most out of him.

An eight-year deal for the 25-year-old Dobson locks him in for his prime years, and his $9.5 million cap hit is acceptable now and should look like a bargain in a few years as the cap rises. Dobson is a No. 1 defenseman, and the Habs should be optimistic that they can turn him into one of the 10 or 15 best blueliners in the NHL over the next five years.

For the cost of two middle-of-the-first-round picks in a weak draft and a depth forward, there's little doubt that this deal is a big win. It's a franchise-altering move for an organization that is looking to compete now with players who can be part of the picture long-term.

Grade: A