The Latest Buzz Surrounding Noah Dobson

In roughly 24 hours, the New York Islanders will be on the draft stage, likely selecting Matthew Schaefer first overall. Yet, despite all that excitement, absolutely nobody is talking about that.

The entire hockey world is talking about the Islanders potentially trading Noah Dobson. That’s thanks to the Quebec Media Magnet, otherwise known as the Montreal Canadiens, reportedly being involved.

While it still remains very unclear if the Islanders will deal Dobson, it’s become a certified speculation bonanza on social media.

To me, Montreal makes little sense as a destination. They hold two first-round picks that are outside the top 10 (16, 17), and they wouldn’t dare trade Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky. Their top prospects, David Reinbacher and Michael Hage, don’t exactly move the needle. Reinbacher missed all but 10 games this season. If, for some reason, Montreal is the destination, you can expect Reinbacher and multiple first-round picks, and more.

The thin rumor linking the two is that they’re reportedly Dobson’s preferred destination. The Islanders do not have to acquiesce to that.

Other Options:

Other rumored destinations include the St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, and Utah Mammoth.

With San Jose, the return could include the second overall pick, or multiple of their highly-touted prospects. The Islanders may not be looking for futures, which would indicate San Jose may not be as likely.

As for St. Louis and Utah, they might make the most sense possible.

If it’s St. Louis, the package begins with Jordan Kyrou and could include more. St. Louis holds the 19th overall pick, perhaps the Islanders could acquire Kyrou and that pick, and then try and move up for James Hagens. If St. Louis adds the 19th pick, the Islanders would need to include a little more on their end, in all likelihood, say a third-round pick or even this year’s 42nd overall pick in the second round.

That brings us to the Utah Mammoth. The Mammoth holds the fourth-overall pick in this draft, a prime location for the Islanders to land James Hagens if they so desire. What’s more, the Islanders would ask for Sean Durzi as part of the package. The 26-year-old right-shot defenseman would immediately fill Dobson’s void, while he’d become utterly redundant in Utah.

That, to me, is the best possible package for the Islanders. Landing both Durzi and the fourth-overall pick is the best-case scenario in all of this. It still seems foolish to trade the 6’4 right-shot and talented defender because of one bad season.

At this point, it seems a divorce is more likely than not. How the parties got here remains somewhat of a mystery, though it all stems back to the negotiating table. There are roughly 24 hours until the draft. A resolution, one way or another, is coming.

Dobson’s Leverage:

The other issue for the Islanders is Dobson’s leverage. No team would acquire him without an extension worked out. If Dobson refuses to sign for more than one particular team, it will drive down the cost of acquisition.

The Islanders must toe the line as best as they can and try and control whatever leverage they have, which is still a lot. If they can generate a bidding war, that’s the best-case scenario for them.