Habs Analyst Reveals the Best Way to Land Noah Dobson Without Losing a Star Player
One of the names that is increasingly prominent in trade rumors is that of New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson.
Patrick Roy's team is likely heading towards a rebuild, and unless Lou Lamoriello prefers to reset his lineup, Noah Dobson won't be very useful to them in the upcoming seasons.
For this reason, Simon "Snake" Boisvert recently suggested that Kent Hughes make an offer sheet to the former QMJHL player.
The prospect expert would offer a contract between $9.16M and $11.45M to Dobson.
In return, the Canadiens would need to give the following:
- 1st round pick (2026)
- 1st round pick (2027)
- 2nd round pick (2026)
- 3rd round pick (2026)
In his analysis, this acquisition would make the Canadiens big winners. Especially since they have a good chance of making the playoffs in the next two seasons.
The advantage here is that the 1st-round pick is in 2026 and not 2025.
The chances of the Canadiens collapsing into the basement next season are therefore slim, which reduces the risk of the offer sheet.
Éric Bélanger wouldn't hesitate to involve Cole Caufield in the trade
In a recent segment of the "La Poche Bleu-Blanc-Rouge" podcast, Éric Bélanger answered a listener's question about whether he would trade Cole Caufield for Noah Dobson.
The former NHL player's response was unequivocal: he would make the trade without hesitation. This response seemed to surprise André Roy, who then asked who, besides Nick Suzuki, would drive the Canadiens' offense.
Bélanger's reasoning is based on the idea that Ivan Demidov will arrive as soon as next season, and Kent Hughes can fill the remaining gaps through trades and free agency.
To add to the topic, Roy admits that adding Dobson would greatly solidify the Canadiens' defense.
He would also involve another player, prospect Logan Mailloux.
It's worth noting that Mailloux has recently been included in trade rumors, with a source close to the organization claiming he will be traded this summer.
What if Kent Hughes traded for Dobson?
In recent days, Dobson made a move that says a lot about his situation by changing agents.
He parted ways with Andrew Maloney to acquire the services of Judd Moldaver and Olivier Fortier from the Wasserman Hockey agency.
Everything points to the fact that negotiations with Lou Lamoriello are not going as Dobson would like, and he might actually leave the Islanders sooner rather than later.
But what would be the price Kent Hughes would have to pay to acquire the excellent defenseman?
It's certain that Dobson will be expensive, very expensive.
Many are suggesting a high-end forward for the services of the defender. If you don't want to involve Caufield or Suzuki, you'll probably have to look toward Juraj Slafkovsky.
Offering Kirby Dach, even with a 1st-round pick added, would likely be insulting to Lou Lamoriello, in my opinion.
Unless the veteran GM is tempted to start the conversation with a David Reinbacher, that would be pretty interesting for the Canadiens..
Dobson, 25, is a right-handed defender, 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. He has accumulated 24 points this season, after posting 70 points in 79 games last season.
| POLL | ||
MARS 4 | 2103 ANSWERS Habs Analyst Reveals the Best Way to Land Noah Dobson Without Losing a Star Player Would you offer sheet Noah Dobson instead of trading a star player for him? | ||
| Yes, Offer Sheet! | 1213 | 57.7 % |
| No, I would trade (Cole, Slaf or Reinbacher) | 75 | 3.6 % |
| No, we don't need him | 815 | 38.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
