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Islanders engaged in Noah Dobson trade discussions with Blues, Canadiens, others: Sources
The New York Islanders are entertaining trade discussions on restricted free agent Noah Dobson, according to league sources.
The Islanders explored a potential extension with Dobson before starting to gauge the market on the 25-year-old right-shot defenseman, who is in line for a big raise on the $4 million cap hit his previous contract carried.
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Dobson has just one year of team control remaining with the possibility of unrestricted free agency looming next summer, and he's a top-10 scorer among NHL defensemen across the past four seasons.
The number of teams with interest in Dobson is high, but it's not clear how many clubs can both meet the significant acquisition cost the Islanders are seeking in a trade and compel the player to sign a long-term contract to complete the transaction.
The Montreal Canadians and St. Louis Blues are among the teams that have engaged in trade discussions with the Islanders, according to league sources.
At this stage, it's unclear where the situation lands. The process is described as amicable, and Dobson will be eligible to sign an offer sheet if he remains without a contract when the free-agent market opens Tuesday.
Dobson has spent his entire career on Long Island after being drafted No. 12 by the Islanders in 2018. He had a career-best 70 points for the team two years ago and finished last season with 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games.
It is a big summer in New York, where Mathieu Darche was hired to replace Lou Lamoriello as general manager on May 23. Earlier this week, Darche told reporters that he hoped to sign all of his pending RFAs, which include Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom and Maxim Tsyplakov, in addition to Dobson.
