New York Islanders’ immediate future hinges on Dobson and Romanov deals

The New York Islanders’ immediate future hinges on two key players re-signing with the team this offseason. I’m talking specifically about defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov.

Entering this season, the Islanders were hoping that Dobson would take the next step after a 70-point campaign in 2023-24. The expectation was that Dobson could catapult himself into the Norris Trophy conversation.

Injuries and inconsistency, however, held Dobson back from having the big year everyone expected him to have. The problem isn’t so much that Dobson had a down year. The problem is that he had a down contract year.

As an impending RFA, Dobson’s down year makes it difficult to gauge what his next contract should look like. Do the Isles go the max eight-year term? Or do they consider a bridge deal, hoping that Dobson proves himself in the next couple of seasons?

If it were up to me, I would lock up Dobson for the foreseeable future. Finding a top-pairing defenseman, or at least a player with that potential is much easier said than done. Dobson is that guy and the Islanders must try their best to keep him.

The question is: Will Dobson live up to his contract? Unfortunately, that’s a risk every team takes with every player. There’s always the risk that every player signed fails to live up to their contract.

But the risk of passing on Dobson could be much bigger than the risk of having him fail to live up to his deal.

In short, the New York Islanders cannot afford to pass up the chance to re-sign Dobson lest they miss having a true No. 1 defenseman for the next half-decade, or so.

Alexander Romanov emerges as New York Islanders’ best blue liner

Amid the devastating number of injuries decimating the New York Islanders’ blue line, Alexander Romanov emerged as the team’s best blue liner.

Now, Romanov isn’t the sort of defenseman that’s going to end up with 20 goals and 60 to 70 points a year. He’s the type of steady, reliable guy that can be deployed in virtually any situation. He’s tough and plays the puck well against the opposition’s best forwards.

Like Dobson, Romanov is an RFA. He’s 25, just like Dobson, and is coming off a dirt-cheap deal at $2.5 million per season.

But unlike Dobson, the situation here is clear. Pay Romanov and sign him to a max-term, eight-year deal. Romanov is a prime candidate for an offer sheet and he should command top dollar if he hits the free-agent market.

So, why not lock him up now? The Isles can get him for a much more cost-effective deal than if they kicked the can down the road.

All told, the Islanders have a unique opportunity to lock up their top defensive pair for at least the next half-decade. Failing to take advantage of such a chance could lead the Isles to regret not striking at the right time.