New York Islanders: Learning Noah Dobson Model Alex Pietrangelo

New York Islanders 12th overall pick from the 2018 NHL draft is molding his game after NHL veteran St Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. What can we expect from our 12th overall pick?

In speaking to NHL.com’s Brian Compton, New York Islanders 12th overall pick Noah Dobson said he molds his playing style after St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

It’s not to say that he will be just like Pietrangelo. No two players are the same. But by modeling his play after the St. Louis Blues captain, Dobson will take bits and pieces of Pietrangelo’s game and add it to his own.

With that in mind, I figured it would be worth it to delve a bit deeper into the type of player that Alex Pietrangelo is to gain a sense of what type of player Noah Dobson might become when he eventually joins up with the New York Islanders in the NHL.

What Pietrangelo Has Done – Stats

The St. Louis Blues captain has played eight seasons in the NHL. Drafted fourth overall in 2008, he’s spent his entire NHL career with the St. Louis Blues. In his 617 games, he’s scored 357 points. Including a career year in 2017-18 where he recorded 54 points.

Over his career, he’s hit the 50 point plateau on three separate occasions and the 45-50 point range another two times. He’s scored 10 or more goals four times, including 15 last season. And since 2012-13 he’s averaged no less than 25 minutes of ice-time per night.

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He’s only been a negative 5on5 Corsi-For player once in his career. Negative Corsi would be any time a player hits below 50 percent. And he’s averaged a defensive point share 5.0375 per season since he joined the league full-time.

He’s finished top ten in Norris voting on three occasions and has received votes for the leagues top defenseman in another three seasons.

Pietrangelo is one of the best two-way defenders in the NHL today.

What Pietrangelo Has Done – Style

Like any NHL couch scout, I took to YouTube to figure out some of Pietrangelo’s tendencies. It doesn’t paint the full picture, but with a constant stream of highlights, you start to pick up on some constants.

Like how Pietrangelo seems to enjoy taking the puck deep into the attacking zone. Count the number of times Pietrangelo takes the puck in deep to make a play. I counted at least two wrap-around goals. Pietrangelo loves to get involved offensively.

Also on display is Pietrangelo’s physical play. He isn’t shy to use that 6’3″ 210lbs body to staplegun an opposing player to the boards or just clear him right off the puck.

At 6’3″ and 176lbs, Noah Dobson has some filling in to do before he can fully use that side of his game at the NHL level. There’s no doubt that by the time Dobson gets the NHL he’ll have made a significant dent in that spread between him and his NHL inspiration.

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If you aren’t already exicted about a defensive prospect that was drafted 12th overall and put up 69 points in 67 games, studied the game at a premier hockey academy in Salzburg, and is modeling his game after one of the best two-way defenders in the game, then maybe nothing will.

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