There was some very important breaking news on Friday, as the Montreal Canadiens have completed a trade to acquire New York Islanders defenceman Noah Dobson.
**Breaking News**
I’m told the @NYIslanders are trading D Dobson to @CanadiensMTL .#HockeyX pic.twitter.com/Hxoe5Kr2BY— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 27, 2025
We will have to wait a little longer to confirm the return, but we do know that Dobson has also signed an eight-year contract extension with the Canadiens which carries a $9.5 million annual average value.
Noah Dobson is being traded to Montreal and signing an 8x$9.5M extension with the Canadiens
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2025
Update: It appears the Canadiens have included both of their first-round picks in the trade (16th and 17th overall), and prospect Emil Heineman.
Return includes Emil Heineman and both of Montreal’s first-round picks tonight.
Will be interesting to see what NYI GM Mathieu Darche does with them https://t.co/VUtanRytwN
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2025
Montreal Canadiens Angle
Even though the Montreal Canadiens qualified for the playoffs last season, it was clear they could use defensive upgrades, particularly on the right side of the blue line.
INSTANT ANALYSIS: Canadiens Trade For Dobson Smart Business
Dobson, one of the most interesting players available on the trade market, should help improve a few key areas, including puck retrievals, controlled exits, and chances off the rush, which are all considered areas of weakness at the moment. It’s worth noting that teams improve their odds of scoring whenever they manage to generate chances off the rush, and that prior to the Dobson trade the Canadiens were among the bottom-five teams in the league when it came to generating rush chances.
As a right-handed defenceman, Dobson also fills a need in the lineup, especially now that veteran David Savard has retired.
There was some concern as to his defensive prowess, but we have to keep in mind the situation for the Islanders last year was messy, and that Dobson’s overall underlying numbers are fantastic to say the least, both at 5v5 and the powerplay.
With Dobson in the mix, it should also lead to a little less pressure on Lane Hutson, as he was relied upon to wear a few too many hats during his rookie season. That’s not to say Hutson struggled, not by any means, but it’s never a bad idea to add a support system for the most dynamic player in the lineup.
Stay tuned for more analysis regarding the blockbuster Noah Dobson trade.
All Montreal Canadiens and Noah Dobson statistics 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Evolving Hockey.
