Trade Targets: Islanders Make Top Defenseman Available for Trade

 

The Islanders are considering a number of possibilities in advance of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, per a recent report from RG.

Whether or not the Islanders should trade for star defenseman Noah Dobson is one of those possibilities. Since being chosen in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft, the team's top offensive defenceman has been a mainstay. However, RG's NHL sources claim that he is available in a deal that would give the Isles a better forward group.

"He is available for trade," the source said. "And that is a piece the team is willing to part with in order to get that scoring presence they have wanted for three seasons."

Recently, Dobson sustained an injury that's kept him out the past few weeks. Injuries have been a thorn in his side all season, and it's limited him to 24 points in 46 games.

If the Islanders are attempting to move Dobson, it would be a massive shift. The 25-year-old just recorded a career-best 70 points last season, and has three 40+ point campaigns in his six seasons with the club. Overall, he's played in 346 NHL games with the organization.

The Vancouver Canucks were suggested by writer Jim Biringer as a potential trade destination for the former All-Star in the same RG piece. It is thought that Dobson would be part of the package sent to Vancouver to acquire Canucks center Elias Pettersson, who has showed interest in the Islanders.

Dobson's contract status is another important factor to take into account. His current contract, which pays him $4 million a year, is coming to an end. He deserves a big raise even though he will be a restricted free agency at the end of the 2024–2025 season. Dobson's current employer must find a means to sign him to a new deal, and they should expect to pay him more than $7 million a year.