Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Noah Dobson

Snapshots: Pageau, Grubauer, Avalanche, Dobson

at CDT | by 12 Comments

While there has been strong trade interest in Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, it doesn’t appear as if he’s in play.  Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the Isles have informed teams that they won’t be moving the 32-year-old.  The 32-year-old is coming off one of his better years offensively after tallying 42 points in 79 games while winning nearly 60% of his faceoffs.  A capable checker, Pageau will be entering the final year of his contract next season on a deal that carries a $5MM cap charge.  Given the lack of depth in the center market, New York likely would have been well-positioned to land a return of some value for Pageau’s services but it appears now that they’ll hold onto him and potentially reassess his situation closer to the trade deadline in March.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Kraken GM Jason Botterill confirmed to reporters including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times that the team will not be buying out goaltender Philipp Grubauer by Monday’s deadline. The 33-year-old had a rocky performance this season, posting a 3.49 GAA with a .875 SV% in 26 starts, resulting in a stint with AHL Coachella Valley after clearing waivers.  Grubauer has two years left on his contract that carries a $5.9MM cap charge and while Seattle would have been able to open up nearly $4MM in room this summer with a buyout, Botterill instead will keep him around with the belief that he’ll be able to bounce back next season.
  • Avalanche pending unrestricted free agents Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren are expected to hit the open market next week, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription link). Drouin reached free agency last year as well before re-signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal.  The winger put up 37 points in 45 games this season.  Meanwhile, Lindgren was acquired at the trade deadline and put up 22 points in 72 games this year with the blueliner playing on a $4.5MM contract.  After yesterday’s trade of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus, the Avs have nearly $9MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, giving GM Chris McFarland more wiggle room to work with in reshaping his roster this summer.
  • Noah Dobson’s new contract with the Canadiens contains just a 14-team no-trade clause beginning in 2026-27, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). He was not eligible for any trade protection next season since that was an RFA-eligible year and RFA-eligible players can’t have any trade restrictions.  The deal was heavily front-loaded with $33MM in signing bonus money over the first three seasons of the agreement.

Trade Notes: Dobson, Marner, Karlsson, McBain

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The opening day of the 2025 NHL Draft got off to a quick start earlier today when the New York Islanders traded defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for Emil Heineman and a pair of first-round picks. If the Islanders’ old General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, had it his way, Dobson would have already been wearing a different Canadian team’s uniform.

According to Arthur Staple, formerly of The Athletic, Lamoriello attempted to package Dobson with other pieces at last season’s trade deadline to acquire forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, likely due to Toronto’s disapproval at the time, no trade materialized between the two teams.

It stands to reason that the Islanders may have known Dobson was out of their price range on a long-term extension for some time, and the new administration faced similar issues as the last. At any rate, the Islanders now have approximately $21MM in cap space entering the offseason without a big-ticket extension on their horizon.

Other trade notes:

  • It’s a well-known fact that the Vegas Golden Knights are looking to trim their salary cap table so they can put together a legitimate pursuit for Marner. Still, it doesn’t appear that long-time forward William Karlsson will be a part of that exodus, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that there’s little activity on the Karlsson trade front. The 11-year veteran is coming off an injury-riddled season and has two years left until he reaches unrestricted free agency, making him a difficult sell to other organizations.
  • According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to capitalize on the lack of progress in contract negotiations between the Utah Mammoth and forward Jack McBain. Yohe indicated that McBain would be an ideal fit for the Penguins’ hole at third-line center, and his physicality and tertiary scoring ability are of great intrigue to General Manager Kyle Dubas.

Canadiens Acquire, Extend Noah Dobson From Islanders

at CDT | by 33 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens are set to acquire high-scoring defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, per NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes. The deal was later confirmed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who shares that the Islanders signed Dobson to a maximum-term, eight-year contract before moving him to Montreal. That extension will carry a total value of $76MM, or an annual average value of $9.5MM.

In return, the Islanders will receive both of Montreal’s draft picks in the 2025 first-round – picks 16 and 17 – as well as forward prospect Emil Heineman, per Friedman.

After multiple days of rumors, Montreal has landed the big fish in high-end scorer Dobson. The move will give Montreal more oomph to an already high-octane offensive group manning their blue-line. Dobson managed a career-year at the age of just 24 during the 2023-24 campaign, when he managed 10 goals and 70 points in 79 games. He became the first Islanders defenseman since Stanley Cup-winner Denis Potvin to reach the 60-assist mark.

That breakout performance was a gradual ramp-up after Dobson managed 13 goals and 51 points in 2021-22, and 13 goals and 49 points in 2022-23. He’s climbed the ranks of offensive output and reached double-digit goals in every full season of his NHL career. That includes reaching 10 goals again this year, though his point total took a surprising tumble to 39 points in 71 games played.

That sudden spike in scoring, and a fall to a minus-16 after posting a plus-12 last year, brought out many skeptics to Dobson’s overall upside. But it’s worth noting that New York scored the fifth-fewest goals in the NHL this season (222), 23 fewer than they managed in Dobson’s breakout campaign in 2024. A bulk of that decrease can be attributed to Islanders’ star forward Mathew Barzal missing all but 30 games of this season, after leading the Islanders in scoring in 2023-24.

Dobson’s scoring totals are near-second-to-none in the league. He ranks fifth among U25 defensemen in total goals scored over the last five seasons (49), behind Cale Makar (104), Rasmus Dahlin (70), Evan Bouchard (54), and Quinn Hughes (51). Dobson also ranks sixth in total points (223) behind Makar (378), Hughes (353), Dahlin (275), Adam Fox (266), and Bouchard (237).

But Dobson’s defensive prowess remains scrutinized. Among the same sample – U25 defenders over the last five years – only seven players have been on the ice for more goals-against than Dobson’s 346. He’s also been on the ice for the eighth-most expected goals-against (xGA; 385.53), per Evolving Hockey. Of the bunch, he boasts the fourth-best goal-differential (+82).

There’s a lot to like, and a lot to be nervous about in how Dobson has blazed his path through his first four full seasons in the NHL. But that argument aside, there seems no denying that he’s among the sheer best, young offensive-defensemen in the NHL. His growth into a star, top-pair role in New York far exceeded the 12th-overall draft spot he earned in the 2018 NHL Draft – and likely exceeds the paths any options at Montreal’s previous 16th and 17th overall slots this year would have yielded. He’s a premier scorer, and will join another emerging superstar on Montreal’s defense in Lane Hutson. Hutson reached the 60-assist mark as a 20-year-old rookie this season, and earned the Calder Trophy because of it.

Both Hutson and Dobson dominate possession on their line – and excel at gaining momentum through their drives in the neutral zone. They’ll be elusive and effective play-drivers, but man need to play off of each other’s pairings to give Montreal the best results. That will be where other young Montreal defenders have a chance to step up – with Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher likely the future glue pieces holding the offensive-stars down. How Montreal pursues that deployment, or even if they’ll maintain their current structure at all, will be headlines worth following through the rest of the summer.

Meanwhile Heineman will fall as the unheralded addition to a draft-day blockbuster. The 23-year-old winger played through his rookie NHL season in Montreal’s bottom-six this year. He managed 10 goals and 18 points through 62 games, though looked in need of a spark through multiple points in the year. This move marks the third time that Heineman has been moved by his NHL club – after previously being traded from the Florida Panthers to the Calgary Flames in a 2021 deal that landed Florida Sam Bennett; then from the Flames to the Canadiens in a 2022 trade that sent Tyler Toffoli to Calgary.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

Blue Jackets, Canadiens In Talks To Acquire Noah Dobson

at CDT | by 9 Comments

It appears the Islanders are set to move on from pending RFA defenseman Noah Dobson with the Blue Jackets and Canadiens as the sole contenders to acquire him, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relayed earlier this morning that the Blues were also in the mix, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added Dobson wasn’t interested in signing a new contract with a team in the Western Conference. Marco D’Amico of RG was among the first yesterday to identify a connection between Montreal and Dobson.

Things have materialized rather quickly here. Dobson’s name was in trade speculation as far back as February, but it was stressed that they were only willing to part with him in the context of a specific trade that would presumably have netted them a forward of similar caliber in return. Days later, Dobson changed his representation in advance of starting extension negotiations with the Islanders.

Evidently, those discussions weren’t productive. Other teams – including Columbus and Montreal – appear prepared to offer him a price tag of $9.5MM per season on a long-term deal, Johnston reports. It’s unclear if the Islanders ever got to that number on an eight-year deal. It’s worth noting that the Blue Jackets and Canadiens can’t offer Dobson an eight-year contract because he wasn’t on their reserve list at the trade deadline. If he signs one, it’ll be because New York executes a sign-and-trade instead of just dealing his signing rights.

Both the Blue Jackets and Canadiens have two first-round picks in tonight’s draft. Columbus holds No. 14 and No. 20 overall, while the Canadiens hold No. 16 and No. 17. The Islanders will presumably land one, if not both of those picks, in a trade return. While it’s looking like they’ll select consensus top defense prospect Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 overall selection tonight, they have an obvious interest and need for center help.

Long Island native James Hagens, once considered the top prospect in the class but now projected to go later in the top 10, would fill that need. They could presumably use one of the picks they acquire for Dobson as part of a package to trade up and land both names. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that’s the organization’s preferred outcome here, rather than recouping roster players in return for Dobson.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.

Snapshots: McKenna, Peterka, Dobson, Pacioretty

at CDT | by 13 Comments

Although the 2025 NHL Draft is only a few days away, the projected first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft is already making waves. The expectation is that Gavin McKenna, currently rostered with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, will play in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.

In this week’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, podcast host Elliotte Friedman shared that McKenna has completed interviews with Penn State University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Denver. Friedman lists the former two as the perceived favorites, but all four programs are expected to compete for a National Championship next season.

Any program that lands McKenna will have successfully recruited a generational talent. McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Tigers this season, with another nine goals and 38 points in 16 postseason contests en route to a Memorial Cup Final finish. To put McKenna’s season into perspective, Connor McDavid scored 28 goals and 99 points in 56 games for the OHL’s Erie Otters in his age-17 season, with another four goals and 19 points in 14 postseason games.

Other snapshots:

  • According to Frank Seravalli in the DFO Rundown podcast, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders have had loose trade negotiations regarding forward JJ Peterka and defenseman Noah Dobson. A one-for-one swap would fill an area of need for both organizations, with the Sabres prioritizing a right-handed defenseman and the Islanders looking to jumpstart a lethargic offense. Still, both teams are continuing to gauge the market for each player, and a trade isn’t considered imminent.
  • Nick Alberga of The Leafs Nation reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain interested in re-signing winger Max Pacioretty for next season. Despite a solid postseason performance, Pacioretty should warrant a relatively cheaper contract, given he missed more than half of the season due to injury. Still, Alberga notes that Pacioretty is prioritizing remaining close to his family in Michigan, meaning his desired employer will come down to the Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings.

Central Notes: Marchessault, Predators, Dobson

at CDT | by 12 Comments

Despite ample trade rumors, Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz has shut down speculation surrounding veteran forward Jonathan Marchessault. Per John Glennon of the Nashville Post, Trotz stated today that there is no truth to the rumors related to Marchessault’s availability.

Trotz admitted the speculation around Marchessault reached a point where he felt compelled to call the forward’s agent, Pat Brisson, to ensure the rumors weren’t true. As Trotz was quoted, “There’s nothing happening. I didn’t know if anything was happening, so I just double-checked with him that maybe I missed something. I didn’t miss anything.”

Just last offseason, Marchessault signed a five-year, $27.5MM free agent deal with the Predators. In 78 games, the 34-year-old posted 21 goals and 56 points, marking the eighth time he has eclipsed the 20-goal plateau. However, his goal total was half of what he produced in his final season with the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Preds finished with the third-worst record in the league. Moreover, Marchessault had the second-worst plus/minus rating on the team (minus-29), behind only fellow veteran Steven Stamkos. These factors have sparked speculation that Marchessault could draw significant trade interest, but Trotz’s comments today appear to put those rumors to rest.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Trotz also expressed confidence in the Predators’ roster, stating his belief that the team is built to compete in the near future. Per team reporter Brooks Bratten, Trotz noted, “We still have enough good players that if we go in the right direction, yes [we can win and compete].” Despite the team’s offensive struggles last season (finishing second-to-last in the league with 212 goals), the Preds do have pedigree at the top of their lineup with the likes of Marchessault, Stamkos, Filip Forsberg, as well as defensemen Brady Skjei and Roman Josi. Holding the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft, the team is also expected to add an impact prospect to its pipeline.
  • The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta appeared on “The Sheet with Jeff Marek” and shared his belief that the St. Louis Blues have at least some level of interest in acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old defender posted 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games this past season while averaging just north of 23 minutes per night. While Dobson didn’t replicate his 70-point 2023-24 campaign—due in part to injuries—he should still command a significant return if the Islanders decide to move him.

RFA Notes: Dobson, Knies, Cuylle

at CDT | by 8 Comments

In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the podcast host reports that the New York Islanders are quietly testing the market for defenseman Noah Dobson. Friedman believes the Islanders aren’t ready to move him yet, but are simply conducting their due diligence in case he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.

Dobson’s projected market value is hard to ascertain. After scoring 10 goals and 70 points in 79 games, averaging 24:31 of ice time per night, and finishing eighth in Norris Trophy voting in the 2023-24 season, Dobson’s play collapsed in 2024-25, largely due to injuries. He’s entering restricted free agency on the heels of a 10-goal, 39-point campaign and is only a year away from unrestricted free agency.

According to Friedman, the Islanders believe that if Dobson can replicate his performance from 2023-24, he’ll command an AAV of more than $10MM per year on his next deal, and that may not be something they’re willing to do. The likelihood of him being traded remains low, but the fact that the Islanders are open to hearing offers is a significant change in their approach from the regular season.

Other notes regarding a few more RFAs:

  • With a boatload of cap space, the Toronto Maple Leafs need not worry about a Matthew Knies offer sheet this summer. Still, they will want to sign the deal soon to understand their financial flexibility during the summer months. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there is no consensus on the progress of the negotiations. One side believes a deal is close, while the other side indicates that it is not. Unfortunately, he did not specify which side holds each perspective. Regardless, it appears that the final deal should fall in the three-to-five-year range.
  • Although all eyes are on the status of restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller, the New York Rangers have another quality RFA to worry about. According to a new article by Peter Baugh in The Athletic, the Rangers have initiated talks with Will Cuylle, and both parties are interested in a contract extension. Baugh expects the Rangers and Cuylle to agree on a three-year, $10MM contract (or near it), which would allow them to optimize their salary cap this offseason while also establishing a multi-year commitment.

Team Canada Announces Initial World Championship Roster

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Hockey Canada has followed up news of their World Championship coaching staff by announcing the first 15 players on their tournament roster. The team is a healthy mix between veteran NHL experience and burgeoning stars. That includes reigning first overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini, who will receive his first chance to join Canada’s Men’s team. Celebrini will operate down a loaded center depth chart, behind NHL stars Bo Horvat and Ryan O’Reilly.

Celebrini is the headliner, but Canada will embrace a major youth movement with this lineup. They’re also bringing young forward Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson, as well as defenseman Ryker Evans. All three players proved their worth as everyday NHL talents this season – Fantilli with a 30-goal season, Johnson with 57 points, and Evans with a routine top-four role in Seattle. Interestingly, the roster does not yet contain 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard, who scored eight points in 10 tourney games last summer.

Team Canada has also invited 22-year-old goaltender Dylan Garand – the only invitee to not spend the entire season in the NHL. Garand instead served as the starter for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he managed a .913 save percentage and 20-10-8 record. He’ll likely be the third-string goaltender once Canada adds more experienced pros currently in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Evans’ role on defense will be sheltered by major supports in the form of MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Dobson, Brandon Montour, and Travis Sanheim. All four players are top defensemen for their NHL clubs and collectively form a very experienced blue-line for the international lineup. None of Canada’s first five defense invites were on the World Championship roster last year.

The current roster is as follows:

F Macklin Celebrini (Sharks)
F William Cuylle (Rangers)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Tyson Foerster (Flyers)
F Barrett Hayton (Hockey Club)
F Bo Horvat (Islanders)
F Kent Johnson (Blue Jackets)
F Travis Konecny (Flyers)
F Ryan O’Reilly (Predators)

D Noah Dobson (Islanders)
D Ryker Evans (Kraken)
D Brandon Montour (Kraken)
D Travis Sanheim (Flyers)
D MacKenzie Weegar (Flames)

G Dylan Garand (Rangers)

Metropolitan Notes: Karlsson, Islanders, Ashton

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Erik Karlsson’s tenure with Pittsburgh has been a bit underwhelming, to say the least.  While he has eclipsed 50 points in each of his first two years, his totals pale in comparison to the 101 he had in 2022-23 with San Jose.  In a recent 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mused that once Karlsson’s signing bonus gets paid (July 1st is the payment date for most but not all), the 34-year-old will be more of a realistic trade target.  At that point, he’ll be down to just $11.5MM in cash owed over the final two years of the contract, a chunk of which the Sharks will be picking up.  If the Penguins are willing to retain further, they might find a relatively decent trade market for his services, especially among some of the lower-spending teams who might find extra value in having an AAV higher than cash owed.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Ethan Sears of the New York Post provides (subscription link) an overview of some questions the Islanders now face in the wake of Lou Lamoriello not getting his contract renewed. Chief among them is the fate of contract extension talks between the club and pending UFA winger Kyle Palmieri.  It looked as if a new deal was a matter of when, not if, but if the new GM wants to go a different direction, that could now be off the table.  Sears also flags the handling of Noah Dobson’s next contract as a key question.  While Lamoriello didn’t seem to view the pending RFA as a number one defender, his numbers suggest he’s about to be paid like one.  Does the new GM want to hand out a max-term contract or look for something shorter-term that might come in a little cheaper?
  • Blue Jackets prospect Luke Ashton has transferred to Cornell for next season, relays Brad Elliott Schlossmann of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). The 20-year-old blueliner was a sixth-round pick last year after a strong offensive season with BCHL Langley that saw him tally 18 goals.  However, he only managed five goals along with eight assists with Minnesota State (Mankato), resulting in Ashton deciding to look for a change of scenery.  He is now one of three NHL-drafted blueliners on the Big Red.

Islanders Notes: Dobson, Reilly, Palmieri, DeAngelo, Varlamov

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer and is in line for a substantial raise on the $4MM he made on his bridge deal.  Speaking to reporters including Ethan Sears of the New York Post, the 25-year-old declined to provide a preference between signing a short-term deal that could allow him to hit the open market in his prime or a long-term agreement that could make him the highest-paid player in team history.  Dobson had a quieter year this season with 10 goals and 29 assists in 71 games but he’s only a year removed from a 70-point effort that saw him land in the top ten in Norris Trophy voting which will play a significant role in negotiations.  Dobson has just this one year of RFA eligibility remaining and he is arbitration-eligible.

More from the Isles:

  • After missing more than four months following being diagnosed with a heart condition, defenseman Mike Reilly told reporters including Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News he intends to play next season. The 31-year-old was limited to just 18 appearances this season between the heart issue and being scratched with some frequency and while he noted he’d like to stay with the Isles, the limited usage could suggest that he’s unlikely to be brought back.  Reilly had just two assists in those 18 outings while his 15:10 ATOI was the second lowest of his career.
  • Winger Kyle Palmieri wasn’t moved at the trade deadline with the belief that the two sides were close on a new deal. That hasn’t happened yet but the veteran indicated to Newsday’s Andrew Gross and other reporters that he’s hopeful a new contract can be reached.  A pending UFA, the 34-year-old had 24 goals and 24 assists in 82 games this season which should put him in line for another contract close to the $5MM he received for each of the last four years.
  • Pending UFA defenseman Tony DeAngelo told reporters including Gross that his intention is to remain in the NHL next season with his preferred outcome being remaining with the Isles. Signed midseason after having his KHL deal terminated, DeAngelo played a bigger role than expected, averaging over 23 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with 19 points in 35 games.  With that type of production, DeAngelo’s market might be better this time around after not getting a firm offer last summer while playing for the prorated league minimum when he joined New York.
  • Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is hoping to start skating in June as he continues his recovery from a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since late November, Gross relays. The 36-year-old posted a 2.89 GAA with a .889 SV% in just ten starts this season and still has two years left on his contract that carries a $2.75MM cap charge.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top