The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders for the 16th- and 17th-overall picks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and forward Emil Heineman.
Montreal Wins “Dobson Sweepstakes,” Islanders Receive 2 More First-Rounders
The Canadiens then signed Dobson, who was a pending restricted free agent, to an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually. It is a huge payday for Dobson, who is coming off of a three-year contract worth $4 million annually.
Dobson, 25, had a bit of a down 2024-25 season for the Islanders with 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 70 games but is undeniably an elite blue liner who will anchor the right side of the Canadiens’ top pairing for the foreseeable future. Adding a top-tier defenseman with experience was a big priority for general manager (GM) Kent Hughes, whose club made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2021 and is set to enter a new era of competitiveness.
The Summerside, PEI product recorded 70 points in 2023-24 and has 230 points (50 goals, 180 assists) in 388-career games since being selected by the Islanders 12th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Frank Seravalli reported that new Islanders GM Mathieu Darche will try to leverage the 16th and 17th-overall picks to move up in the draft so he can grab James Hagens between fourth and sixth overall. The Islanders have the first-overall selection after getting lucky in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery and will likely select Matthew Schaefer with the pick.
Related: Islanders Can Trade for a Second Top 10 Pick in 2025 NHL Draft, But Should They?
Heineman, a 23-year-old left winger recorded 18 points in 62 games in a bottom-six role in his first full NHL season. The Swedish-born product was selected 43rd overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
