The Montreal Canadiens are rumored to be a significant suitor for New York Islanders RFA defenseman Noah Dobson.
Dobson’s name has been in the news recently, as the Islanders have been taking calls on the 25-year-old’s availability. In the June 26 edition of Insider Trading, insider Chris Johnston had this to say about Dobson:
“I can tell you that the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues are among those that have been involved to this point with Dobson.”
Johnston highlighted that other teams have been interested in landing the RFA rearguard, but the two that stand out are the Canadiens and Blues.
He added this key bit of information:
“They (Canadiens) first have to make a trade with the Islanders and then ultimately get the player signed and complete a deal.”
The comments underscore how the Canadiens would need to be certain they can ink Noah Dobson to a new contract. That situation could prove challenging as the Habs only have a shade over $6 million on cap space this summer.
So, the Canadiens will likely have to clear cap space before being able to ink Dobson to a new deal.
The good news is that the Canadiens wouldn’t necessarily have to move other contracts out right away. The team could wait until after the 2025 NHL Draft and the opening of free agency before finalizing plans to sign Dobson.
Check out Johnston’s comments here:
Looking at Canadiens’ Cap Crunch
As stated earlier, the Canadiens have a little over $6 million in cap space. That won’t be enough to sign Dobson as he’s looking for a hefty payday.
Some reports suggest that Dobson is looking for at least $11 million AAV over a three to five-year deal. That contract could force the Canadiens to move some money out.
One of the rumors has been the possibility of dumping the final year of Patrik Laine’s contract. Laine has an $8.7 million cap hit this upcoming season. Beyond that, only Mike Matheson’s contract stands out as one the Canadiens might want to shed.
However, Matheson has a modified no-trade clause. That could make it hard for the Canadiens to shed Matheson’s contract, though not impossible.
What Could Islanders Get for Dobson?
There’s been talk of the Canadiens moving one of their two first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. Perhaps a straight-up Dobson-for-a-first-rounder could work.
The Islanders have been said to want another first-rounder to have a shot at drafting hometown prospect James Hagens. But Hagens is unlikely to be available at #16 or #17.
Still, the additional first-rounder could be enticing for the Islanders, especially if they take Matthew Schaefer with the first-overall pick. Adding Schaefer could make Dobson relatively expendable, providing greater clarity to the Dobson-to-Montreal trade.
Johnston in The Athletic on June 26 noted that the number of interested teams in Dobson is high. So, the Canadiens could get stuck in a bidding war in which the price will be high.
But the Canadiens have the capital to pull off a deal like this. So, if the opportunity arises, the Habs would be remiss to pass up such a chance.
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