Islanders Top 3 Noah Dobson highlights from 2019-20

Top three plays from Noah Dobson’s rookie season with the New York Islanders.

He may not have had the impact he was hoping to have for his rookie year, but Noah Dobson took the first steps of his professional hockey career with the New York Islanders this season.

With 34 games of a possible 68 played, Dobson sat as much as he played. It’s not to say that he sat and wasted away. Barry Trotz certainly had him constantly studying systems and watching a ton of film. Ideally, he would have wanted to be out there for all 68.

When he did hit the ice Noah Dobson showed us why the Islanders drafted him 12th overall in 2018. He also reminded us that he’s a rookie and that rookies sometimes make mistakes.

Looking over his year, here are his top three highlights.

First NHL Point

In his first NHL game, Noah Dobson faced off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. And the Isles weren’t having a good time. The Oilers ran up a 5-1 lead with minutes left in the third period.

At 13:32 into the final frame though, Dobson takes the puck from Casey Cizikas at the blue line and walks into the offensive zone before finding Matt Martin alone at the front of the Oilers net.

https://twitter.com/IslesMSGN/status/1181744055404900352

Getting your first NHL point in your first games, and in this fashion is pretty damn impressive. How about that little wink after the goal? Fantastic.

First NHL Goal

You miss every shot you don’t take, right?

Dobson owes Alex Biega a debt of gratitude for this one. If not for the Red Wings defenseman inexplicably trying to grab the puck out of the air and missing Dobson’s shot doesn’t get on the net and certainly doesn’t get by Calvin Pickard.

https://twitter.com/NYIslanders/status/1217254486269485057

It’s not how Dobson would have thought his first NHL goal would have gone in, but honestly, this is probably the best way for it to go it. Yeah, it’s a fluke goal, but he’s scored, the internal pressure to score his first is now gone.

Knowing When

Knowing when to commit in the offensive zone is a tough balancing act for young defensemen. The last thing you want to do is get caught in a pinch and force one of your forward teammates to take your spot on the blue line.

A defense-first coach like Barry Trotz would be none too pleased if he saw that happen.

Dobson seems to know how to walk that line. Here’s another highlight of Dobson pinching in the offensive zone and putting the puck in a dangerous area not just once but twice. And on the second attempt,

Josh Bailey

is there to tap it home.

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I’m excited to see Noah Dobson’s career unfold in front of us. In his first year with the Isles, Dobson set up what could be a truly impressive career in the NHL.