Only one trade at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday night involved roster players. It was a trade completed long before the draft, but it was still a blockbuster. The Montreal Canadiens traded forward Emil Heineman, along with the 16th and 17th overall picks, to the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Noah Dobson.
Dobson entered the draft as a top trade candidate. Prior to the deal, he was a restricted free agent. The Islanders elected not to pay the price to keep him on Long Island. According to Dobson, it was through these contract discussions that the idea of a trade began to take root.
“Once conversations started with my representation we tried to work on finding a deal and staying on Long Island,” the new Canadiens defenseman said, via NHL.com. “That was always the goal to start but unable to find any common ground on that. And at some point we just felt it would be best to go in different directions and look for a trade. And I’ve got nothing but great things to say about the Islanders organization and my time there.”
“Truly I love those guys and wish them nothing but the best moving forward. But at the end of the day, things like this happen, and to be coming to the Montreal Canadiens is super exciting for me, and I have a fresh start here and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Noah Dobson Ready For New Chapter
Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesNoah Dobson signed a massive eight-year contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens.
Dobson is certainly excited about the opportunity to play for the Canadiens organization. He immediately signed an eight-year contract extension with the team following the trade. And he considered this decision to be a “no-brainer,” given the team he is now playing for.
“Just the opportunity to be part of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s an honor,” he said, via NHL.com “It’s the best hockey market in the world. The fans are incredible. I love playing at the Bell Centre, and just also the group of players they have already and the talent they have on that team and what they’ve been building. I’m just super excited to join that group and add to it, and excited about what we can do down the road here in the future.”
Dobson’s new contract carries a cap hit of $9.5 million per season. In 2026-27, he received a modified no-trade clause, which allows him to veto trades to 14 teams. He will have this modified no-trade clause every season until the contract expires on July 1, 2033.
Why Canadiens Targeted Dobson Trade
General manager Kent Hughes discussed what he saw in Dobson on Friday. The Habs executive noted that he did not see an extreme physical game when watching his newest defenseman. However, he did take note that the 25-year-old’s style fits exactly what the Canadiens are trying to do on the ice.
“I think he defends with his feet and with his reach and range, and I think if you look at how we play and how we try to deny pucks a lot and deny ice … his ability to retrieve pucks and kind of spring the offense for us was a big piece,” Hughes said, via NHL.com. “We see how Lane (Hutson) has done that for us this year, and we’re confident we did a lot of homework on him.”
The Canadiens have made a major statement after making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25. Montreal is the most storied franchise in the NHL. And they want to experience the heights of postseason success once again. Moves like this could be the ones that deliver such success for a franchise like the Canadiens.
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