Noah Dobson calls his parting with the NY Islanders a mutual decision

After days and weeks of speculation, the New York Islanders officially parted ways with defenseman Noah Dobson, trading him to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for picks No. 16, No. 17, and forward Emil Heineman. The trade closed the book on a contract standoff that had dragged on for weeks, and according to Dobson, the decision to move on was mutual.

Dobson, 25, was a restricted free agent and was reportedly seeking a long-term extension north of $10 million per year. The Islanders, under new General Manager Mathieu Darche, were reluctant to commit that kind of money and term, especially after Dobson’s production dipped to 39 points this past season following a 70-point campaign in 2023–24.

"I think obviously after the season, played the World Championships, came back. We had a new GM. Obviously, he was getting settled. Once conversations started with my representation, we tried to work on finding a deal and staying on Long Island," Dobson said. "At some point, we just felt best to go in different directions and maybe look for a trade. I got nothing but great things to say about the Islanders organization and my time there, and wish them nothing but the best moving forward. At the end of the day, these things happen."

The move signals a new era and direction for the Islanders, who later in the night selected defenseman Mathew Schaefer first overall. With the blue line being reshaped and salary cap flexibility becoming a growing priority, Darche opted to make the proactive move to trade Dobson, at a high value, for two first-rounders and a bottom-six contributor, rather than continue to play things out and get locked into a contract that the organization could regret.

Dobson leaves Long Island having played 388 games with the Islanders, posting 50 goals and 180 assists over five seasons. While his development had ups and downs, he showed flashes of being a top-pairing defenseman. It's always tough to trade homegrown talent; after all, you draft players hoping they can become a Noah Dobson-caliber player. However, given the circumstances, the Islanders made the move they had to make, one that Dobson also wanted.