NY Islanders D Noah Dobson is on an absolutely absurd assists pace this season

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson picked up two more assists in Sunday night's 3-2 overtime win over the Dallas Stars at UBS Arena. It was his second straight two-assist game, giving him a career-high 41 this season, putting him on an absurd 73-assist pace as he establishes himself as one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL

Surpassing his career-high in assists (previously 39) was certainly within reach of Dobson when the year started, but no one expected that he would match and surpass that mark after just 46 games! According to MSG Networks statistician Eric Hornick, Dobson is the first Islander since Pierre Turgeon in 1992-93 to have at least 41 assists in 46 games. Islanders legend Denis Potvin is the only defenseman in franchise history with 41 assists in the first 46 games. 

Noah Dobson is on an absolutely absurd assists pace this season

In other words, Dobson is on a pace that only two Hall-of-Famers have reached in team history. That's a pretty incredible company in what's been an incredible season for the 24-year-old, who, despite being snubbed as an All-Star, has been the team's most valuable player this season.

The first assist came on a breakout pass to Mathew Barzal, who fed Alexander Romanov for a wrist shot that beat Scott Wedgewood for the game's first goal. The second assist was vintage Dobson, creating space and getting pucks on the net. In the third period, his shot deflected off Hudson Fasching to tie the game. His best pass of the game didn't result in a goal when he made a perfect pass to Brock Nelson, who just couldn't redirect it into a wide-open net.

50 points is a rare milestone for an Islanders defenseman, most recently done by Dobson, Mark Streit (2007-08), and Vladimir Malakhov (1993-94), but 60 points hasn't happened in nearly four decades. Provided he stays healthy, Dobson (6G, 41A) should become the first Isles defenseman since Potvin in the 1984-85 season to reach the mark.

Dobson now is third in assists among defensemen and seventh overall in the league. He also played 26:29 last night, which has also become commonplace in his monster first-half.