After reports that Kent Hughes would have some difficulty making a trade with so few teams looking to sell, he was able to make a move ahead of the draft. He found a partner in new New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche, acquiring defenceman Noah Dobson for the 16th and 17th picks in the 2025 NHL Draft and forward Emil Heineman.
The trade includes a sign-and-trade agreement for Dobson, giving the pending restricted free agent an eight-year deal worth an AAV of $9.5 million.
Dobson has played six NHL seasons since being selected 12th overall in 2018. The Prince Edward Islander had back-to-back seasons of 13 goals from 2021-22 to 2022-23, and last season had a career-high 70 points in 79 games, finishing with a +12 goal differential. This season, a contract year as his three-year bridge deal comes to a close, saw his production drop well under his usual numbers with just 39 points, though still a double-digit goal total.
Montreal was looking for a defenceman who could play on the right side, with the thinking they may have to wait for free agency and find a veteran to replace the retired David Savard in the lineup since both of Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher appear to need more time in the minors. The Habs were instead able to add a 25-year-old blue-liner yet to hit his prime, fitting in with a group of similarly-aged players who got a taste of post-season hockey in the spring.
Patrik Bexell and Matt Drake discussed the trade on a special edition of Habsent Minded.
