The Weaponization of the Offer Sheet Could Target Noah Dobson and the New York Islanders

The New York Islanders and star defenseman Noah Dobson are now prime candidates for the weaponization of the offer sheet.

The thought came to mind when reading about the St. Louis Blues’ risky move in extending offer sheets to the Edmonton Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

What made me cringe was reading about how the Blues targeted both players after former Oilers’ GM Ken Holland balked at extending Broberg and Holloway last season. Instead, Holland, now departed, wanted to get the deals done this upcoming season.

The rumor came from Bob Stauffer, who’s ironclad when it comes to Oilers’ gossip, highlights how Holland dropped the ball, making the team needlessly vulnerable.

So, with Stauffer being as good as it gets, the Blues’ offer sheet strategy was a strategic move based on the Oilers’ unwillingness to extend both young players.

As it stands, the Oilers risk losing at least one of Broberg and Holloway. However, the likeliest scenario is that Edmonton loses both. That loss would decimate the Oilers’ depth, forcing them to dip into the bottom of the free-agent barrel.

But we’re not here to speculate about the Oilers. We’re here to focus on how this weaponization could target the New York Islanders and Noah Dobson. The fact is that a team looking to make a splash (I’m looking at the Pittsburgh Penguins) could find a vulnerable team in the Islanders.

The key issue lies in the Isles falling asleep at the wheel. I’m not saying that Dobson would be looking to go elsewhere. But what I’m saying is that both sides could trust each other to a point where they seem vulnerable to another club, just like the Blues targeted the Oilers.

That being said, the New York Islanders must extend Noah Dobson as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Isles may get into a bidding war they may not be able to win.

Potential Teams that Could Target Noah Dobson and the New York Islanders

The Blues have to be quite desperate to pull off a move like two offer sheets in a season. But like the Blues, other teams who see their competitive windows dwindling could toss a Hail Mary to try and keep their Cup hopes alive.

The first team that comes to mind is the aging Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens need to re-sign Sidney Crosby and try to inject youth while trying to remain competitive. So, why not add a young defenseman like Dobson? He would allow the Pens to paper over the mistake made by trading for Erik Karlsson.

Another team that comes to mind is Tampa Bay. The Lightning traded Mikhail Sergachev mainly as a cap consideration. While the club still has Victor Hedman, he’s getting older by the day. So, the Bolts need a young defenseman to anchor the club as they tango with the big boys in the Atlantic Division.

Then, there are the aforementioned Oilers. The Oilers need to re-sign Evan Bouchard. Bouchard is in line for a massive payday. So, if the Oilers can’t re-sign Bouchard, why not target Dobson?

In fact, I could make an argument for every NHL team to target the New York Islanders. That is why the Isles need to extend Dobson now rather than regret waiting too long to do it.