You Don't Trade a Player like Emil Heineman: Islanders vs Canadiens Fan Debate

You don't trade a player like Emil Heineman. This sentence alone has sparked a massive back and forth debate on X so far this season.

The Emil Heineman/Noah Dobson Debate

On June 27th, 2025, the New York Islanders made a massive roster changing move. They sent their young star defensemen Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, in exchange for two 2025 first round picks, 16th and 17th overall. They also picked up somebody who Isles fans would have assumed to be a 4th line winger this season, a Swedish hockey player who goes by the name of Emil Heineman.

The Islanders fanbase had a love/hate relationship with Dobson during his time on the island. During the 2023-24 season, he broke out with an outstanding 70 points in 79 games. Overall, during his six years with the team, Dobson tallied 50 goals and 230 points in 388 games. Which, don't get me wrong, are impressive numbers for a defenseman offensively. It was his play on the other end of the ice which drove Isles fans crazy. Constant turnovers and other mistakes which would cost the Isles goals against.

Enter Emil Heineman, a player who in 62 games with the Habs last year put up only 10 goals and 18 points. But this year, Heineman has been fantastic for the Isles. He started the season up on the top line, and hasn't left it since then. He already has more goals than he had last season, with 11 in 34 games, also adding 6 assists to that. Heineman's shot is impressive, he fires the puck with ease, and most of his goals come from picking corners in the net. He is 3 for 3 in shootouts this season, including the last 2 which were the game winning shot.

This play has caused Isles fans on X to start tweeting, "You don't trade a player like Emil Heineman" every time he contributes. And I mean EVERY time. @EthanGSN on X appears to be the one who started the craze among Isles fans. It has led to Isles play by play commentator Alan Fuehring saying this on the broadcast Tuesday night against the Red Wings, "Only goal in the first period came from Emil Heineman. Folks tell me you don't trade a guy like Emil Heineman." @IamTyMac posted on X a few days ago that even Heineman himself is aware of the memes. He autographed his stick writing "You don't trade a player like me!"

While everyone has been calling it the "Noah Dobson Trade," the Islanders community on X has been calling it the "Emil Heineman Trade."

This has led to obvious push back from the Montreal Canadiens community on X. Sparking massive debates on if Dobson or Heineman has been more useful for their respective teams this season. The Canadien fans seem very angry on X every time the Isles army on the app spams the timeline with countless tweets of "YOU DON'T TRADE A PLAYER LIKE EMIL HEINEMAN."

Isles and Habs fans can hopefully both live in peace knowing they each acquired players showing real impact this season on their clubs. But there is one thing I must add:

You Don't Trade a Player Like Emil Heineman.