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The NHL Draft begins on Friday night, with the New York Islanders holding the first-overall pick. But they made some noise early in the day, too. The Islanders sent Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Emil Heineman and two first-round picks in a blockbuster trade. Montreal then extended Dobson for eight years at $9.5 million per season. How did both sides fare in the first blockbuster of draft day?
Dobson was a restricted free agent before the trade and extension. Negotiations on a contract with the Islanders fell through, which necessitated the trade. The Canadiens had no problem giving him the extension and paid a lot to give it to him. According to multiple reports, the Columbus Blue Jackets finished second in the sweepstakes.
The Islanders sent one of their top defensemen to the Canadiens. Was it a worthy trade?
The Canadiens add a high-end talent to their blue line
Noah Dobson had a bad 2024-25. He had 39 points in 71 games, a significant drop-off from a 70-point campaign the year before. His defense has never been his strong suit and has not improved much since the beginning of his career. But the offensive upside makes him worth taking a gamble on for the Canadiens.
On paper, this was a high price to pay for the Canadiens. But they need to take a step forward next season after finally making the postseason for the first time since 2021. Dobson gives them a chance to do that, which two 18-year-olds would not do. They also picked up the extra first-rounder for taking on Sean Monahan's contract. That was a great use of cap space and exploiting the flat cap by Montreal.
Emil Heineman was a rookie for the Habs last year, scoring ten goals and adding eight assists in 61 games. The Canadiens won't be missing much from him as he moves to the Islanders. The contract is a lot, but with the cap rising, it could be a fair deal.
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Canadiens grade: A-
The Islanders end the Noah Dobson drama
Trade rumors around Noah Dobson date all the way back to January 2025. At the time, it looked like the Vancouver Canucks were going to trade Elias Pettersson. The Islanders were in and were going to send Dobson the other way to make it work. While that deal fell apart, the seeds were planted for the end of his tenure on Long Island.
The Islanders send Dobson to the Canadiens for two first-round picks after a half-decade where they rarely had one in a given year. Trades for JG Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, and Alexander Romanov cost their prospect pipeline deeply. But trading away Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson has helped replenish it quickly.
Dobson's massive step down in 2024-25 was just part of the reason he was traded. After the Pettersson rumors, Dobson fired his agent and hired a new one, Wasserman Hockey. Then, the Islanders fired Lou Lamoriello and hired Darche. So with two different agents and two different GMs, they could not get a deal done. Finally, he got the extension he was looking for as the clock ran out.
The Islanders could use the 16th and 17th picks in the draft to move back into the top ten. They could also add more talent to their pipeline and use both picks. Long Island native James Hagens could be available and tempting for Darche to target if the hometown kid slides. The Dobson trade opens up a plethora of opportunities and creates cap space to attack free agency.
Darche gets a passing grade on his first big swing as a general manager, and the grade could change by Friday night.
Islanders grade: A-
