The New York Islanders parted ways with 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson this summer after the two sides could not come to terms on a contract extension.
Former Islanders Cal Clutterbuck was asked about Dobson on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, and he was honest in his evaluation of his former teammate.
Former Islanders Cal Clutterbuck The Latest Interview For Spittin' Chiclets
On Tuesday morning, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-matthew-schaefer-roasts-paul-bissonnette-in-funny-spittin-chiclets-interview">Spittin Chiclets</a> dropped their latest podcast, which featured former <a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> forward <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/former-islanders-wild-forward-cal-clutterbuck-officially-announces-retirement-from-nhl">Cal Clutterbuck</a>:
Just to let you know, this interview came from before Dobson was traded.
"I think from a general manager's perspective, there's a number. I think from Noah's perspective, there's a number. And that always ends up happening is the number in the middle," Clutterbuck said. "So the number in the middle is probably like in the sevens. And, you know, it's probably a term, because he's like, 25 years old. I think he's capable of doing whatever he wants to do."
Ultimately, Dobson priced himself out of Long Island, which led to him being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens.
He took less than the reported $10 million annually, signing an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million.
Dobson's offensive output in 2023-24, recording 70 points with 10 goals and 60 assists, was tremendous. And despite his defensive flaws that season, the offensive production outweighed them.
"One thing that I might have been a little bit gun-shy with Noah, is just his ability to defend hard and just be strong enough to contain some of the best players on the other team," Clutterbuck said. "Like when Barkov comes in, like, can you handle him? Can you handle below the goal line? And he showed flashes of it, but he wasn't consistent with it. And I think this year, he actually took the mentality of...he sacrificed a lot of his offensive side to really go out and show people that he could be that guy, and he really needed to be that guy, because, like, Pelech and Pulock were both hurt for long stretches of time. He really had become the guy, and here's my indicator for him.
"The more minutes he plays, the better he is. So like for any D man -- some D-men are great. At 18 minutes, 15 minutes, 17 minutes, you put them up to 22, and you start to see the holes or the chink in the armor. I think with Noah, the more he plays, the more he produces, and the more opportunity you give him, the better he does. So to me, that's the biggest indicator."
Clutterbuck continued: "He's a great kid who loves the game. He's dedicated to it. He works on it; he's going to continue to get better. Whatever he ends up getting is just not going to be a bad number for him."
Clutterbuck is as honest as they come, even when discussing his close friends who still remain on the team.
So, you take what he says to heart and I think his gripe with Dobson's defensive game is exactly why the Islanders didn't feel comfortable with the asking price that came from the Prince Edward Island native's camp.
But, Clutterbuck made a great point that Dobson had to be the No. 1 guy on Long Island and unfotunately for Dobson, he just isn't that guy.
With Montreal, he won't be. Lane Hutson is the guy, and they view Dobson as someone who can fit into their system and excel. It's certainly not as hard-nosed and aggressive a system as we saw on Long Island, even if they are going to open things up a bit this season under new general manager Mathieu Darche.
But if Dobson is going to have success in Montreal, he's going to have to be stronger defensively. It doesn't matter how good you are.
Montreal is a team ready to take that next step, and while not everyone has to be gritty to make the postseason, players who play big minutes, critical minutes, need to be more than a one-dimensional player.
And then, when it gets to the playoffs, that grittiness is the difference between hoisting a Stanley Cup and watching another team get that honor.