The Montreal Canadiens had a good season and capped it off with an unexpected playoff appearance, but that doesn’t mean the rebuild is over—far from it. To be genuine contenders, however, it may be time to acquire something besides prospects and very young players.
Canadiens: Laval Rocket Falls 5-3 To The Rochester Americans
Canadiens: Patrik Laine’s Summer
Canadiens: The Grades Are In – Juraj Slafkovsky
Numerous rumours throughout the season have suggested that the New York Islanders may be open to trading Noah Dobson. The 25-year-old, six-foot-four, 200-pound defenseman has shown what he can do in this league in the past. He has played for parts of six seasons on Long Island, for 388 games, in which he gathered 230 points and 118 penalty minutes.
In 2023-24, he reached a career-high of 70 points in 79 games, not far off a point-per-game pace that is quite impressive for a blueliner, but he fell back to earth this season when he could only muster 39 points in 71 games.
He’s just played the third year of his three-year contract with a $4M cap hit. In February, he moved from Maloney & Thompson sports management to Wasserman Hockey, where his agents will be Judd Moldaver and Olivier Fortier. The latter will be leading the way. Fortier has two players contracted with the Canadiens: Owen Beck and Joshua Roy, both of whom are ELC contracts. He’s the agent who got Alexis Lafreniere a seven-year extension with a $7.45M cap hit annually. All of his clients, apart from Beck, are French-Canadians.
Interestingly, Fortier is a former Canadiens prospect. The organization drafted him in the third round in 2007, but when he realized his NHL dream wouldn’t come to fruition, he gave up hockey to study law and joined Momentum Hockey, a Quebec-based agency that joined Wasserman Hockey last September.
While Dobson will be an RFA soon, I think Kent Hughes would rather make a trade with the Islanders than sign the defenseman to an offer sheet. The Canadiens’ GM has traded with the Isles in the past, although business must be slow for the New York outfit as the search for a new GM to replace Lou Lamoriello continues.
The Canadiens currently hold two consecutive first-round picks at the 2025 draft, picking 16th and 17th. Hughes has already shown he’s not opposed to trading draft picks or young talent to fill a need. Hughes sent Alexander Romanov to the Islanders in his first draft at the helm for two picks: their first-round pick (at 13 overall) and a fourth-round pick (98th overall). Hughes then flipped those to the Chicago Blackhawks for Kirby Dach in his search for the ever-elusive second-line center.
Dobson’s profile fits the kind of projects Hughes likes to take on, although he could be a bit more expensive, having already shown he can succeed offensively in the NHL. A smooth skater and a player with a knack for launching an attack, he spent an average of over 23 minutes on the ice this season in New York. He would make an excellent partner for Lane Hutson and immediately shore up the Canadiens’ defense, especially with David Savard’s departure.
Would Hughes be able to sell him a “show me” deal like he did with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook? Maybe, although the agency swap may mean he’s looking for a longer-term deal, if there’s anyone who can sell the Canadiens’ rebuild to a player, it’s Hughes. However, Dobson’s situation is particular, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, unless he signs a long-term pact. It remains to be seen if the Isles' new management wants to move Dobson, but the offer sheet remains an option if they don't.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.