Trade rumors emerge surrounding NY Islanders' defenseman Noah Dobson

The rumor mill stopped circulating as the NY Islanders put themselves right back in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but started back up last night.

Noah Dobson, who is out with a lower-body injury, has become the center of attention surrounding the Islanders and potential moves before the trade deadline.

“He is available for trade, and that is a piece the team is willing to part with in order to get that scoring presence they have wanted for three seasons,” a source confirmed to Jim Bitinger of RGMedia.

Could Dobson be on the move?

The Isles continue their years-long hunt for another scoring forward and were interested in Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks amid the tension in the Vancouver locker room between Pettersson and JT Miller. But despite Miller being traded to the NY Rangers, the Isles may still be interested in acquiring Pettersson with a player like Dobson going to the Pacific Northwest.

“It would not just be Dobson in the deal,” Bitinger's source says. “There would have to be more money in terms of players going back to Vancouver for the $11.6 million to balance out. The Canucks might have to retain the deal too.”

Dobson is set to become an RFA this summer and is due a significant pay raise. Last season, Dobson had the best season for an Islanders defenseman since Denis Potvin, but the 25-year-old seems to lack a certain intensity, and the team has been playing better since the acquisitions of Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich, and Adam Boqvist. 

The right deal would have to be in place for Lou Lamoriello to pull the trigger in a deal involving Dobson, and Pettersson could be the ideal candidate. The 26-year-old is only two years removed from a 102-point season and signed an 8-year extension last summer with a $11.6M AAV, and doesn’t have any trade protection, but a full NMC is set to kick in next year.

Moving Mat Barzal to LTIR would clear up $9.15M in cap space, making it much easier to fit Pettersson's contract, with the cap ceiling taking a considerable leap over the next three seasons.

Typically with Lamoriello, news isn’t leaked, and it wouldn’t be unlike him to pull the plug on a deal if something gets out without his knowledge. With only a few days until the 4 Nations Face-Off break and one month until the trade deadline, this is something to keep a close eye on