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The New York Islanders made some massive changes this NHL offseason. They fired Lou Lamoriello and hired Mathieu Darche to run the hockey operations. That led to a shakeup on the blue line on NHL Draft night that sets the franchise up for a bright future. The Islanders' best move of the offseason was the trade that sent Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens.
Hours before the first round of the NHL Draft began, the Islanders traded Dobson to the Habs for Emil Heineman and two first-round picks. Those picks, number 16 and 17 in the 2025 Draft, brought in Victor Eklund and Keshawn Aitcheson. Those two prospects joined the number one overall pick, Matthew Schaefer, in a newly loaded prospect pipeline.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked the top 100 drafted prospects who are not already solidified NHLers. The Islanders had five players in the top 34. Only one of those players, Cole Eiserman at 32, was in the organization before the trade deadline. Lamoriello picked up Calum Ritchie and a 2026 first-rounder for Brock Nelson. And then, Darche added three more blue-chippers to the pipeline.
The Islanders were in desperate need of a reset after missing the playoffs in 2025. Since their second run to the Conference Final in 2021, they have missed the playoffs twice and lost in the first round twice. Firing Lamoriello gave them that reset, and they have the stars of the future waiting in the wings.
If the Islanders had not traded Dobson, they would have had to give him a long-term extension. The Canadiens signed him to an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per season. While the Isles could have afforded that deal, they did not see that level of talent in him after a dismal 2024-25 season.
Noah Dobson, acquired by MTL, is a top pairing offensive defenceman. Skilled, capable of moving the puck in transition by joining the rush and sending stretch passes. Great shot as well. Doesn't play that physical in his own end and defence has been inconsistent. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/npnluGMGYn
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 27, 2025
Can the Islanders still compete while stocking their pipeline? Darche and Patrick Roy certainly think so.
The Islanders get out of the Noah Dobson game
This trade has been seen as a win by the Canadiens fanbase as well. After their surprising surge into the postseason last year, they cashed in their draft picks for immediate help. Dobson won't have to play first-pair minutes with Lane Hutson on the team and can help their second power-play unit. This was the perfect move for the Islanders, not because they hoodwinked the Habs, but simply because it was time to move on.
With Alexander Romanov on a cheaper long-term deal and Tony DeAngelo back after a solid cameo late last season, the Islanders still have some depth on their blueline. They could make more moves to get younger on the blue line, with Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech all on long-term deals and over 30 years old. But that is not a necessity, as their current blue line could be serviceable for one season.
Darche came to the Islanders with massive renovations needed to get the team back on track. Keeping a massive contract off the books by trading Dobson is key, as it provides more flexibility to build for the future. If Darche and Roy were not confident in Dobson's ability to be a top defender in the league, giving him $9.5 million never should have been on the table.
The Islanders could have done more in terms of tearing down their current roster. Lamoriello had a chance to trade Kyle Palmieri at the trade deadline, but instead offered him a contract extension. Darche honored that extension, keeping the veteran around with a modified no-trade clause.
Trading Dobson is exactly what the Islanders needed to do this offseason. Spending the picks of winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson was smart, even if the original idea was trading up for James Hagens. Darche has a plan for the future that does not include Noah Dobson.
