Noah Dobson hits rare NY Islanders milestone; sets outdoor record for a defenseman

The unfortunate enduring image of Noah Dobson from yesterday's NHL spectacle at MetLife Stadium will be him turning the puck over to Artemi Panarin and sliding inside the crease. The desperate defenseman was able to block the shot, only for it to deflect off of Ilya Sorokin and trickle across the red line as the net came off its mooring.

But before all that, Dobson was having another great game and hit a season milestone that has only been done by three other defensemen in team history. After three more assists, the New York Islanders defenseman is on pace for 77 this season and could very well break the franchise assists record for a defenseman held by Hall-of-Famer Denis Potvin, who had 70 during the 1978-79 season. Stefan Persson (3x) and Jean Potvin are the only others to have 50 assists in a season.

In the first period during Sunday's Stadium Series matchup versus the New York Rangers, Dobson assisted on goals by Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, hitting the 50-assist mark in just his 54th game of the season. Potvin, who was on hand announcing that the 2026 All-Star Game would be at UBS Arena, is the only other defenseman in franchise history in the aforementioned 1978-79 season. Potvin hit the 50-assist milestone in 53 games.

Dobson added a third assist on Alexander Romanov's goal, becoming the first defenseman to pick up three helpers in an outdoor game. It was the sixth time this season he's had at least three assists in a game. Entering the game, the 24-year-old emerging star was the first Islander defenseman with at least 55 points since 2008-09, when Mark Streit had 56. Now he is the first Isles blueliner to have at least 58 points since Doug Crossman in 1989-90.

It's been a remarkable offensive season for Dobson and is showing no signs of slowing down.