If the Islanders were to move Dobson, what would they be looking for?
There are a lot of rumors going around regarding New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson.
The 25-year-old pending restricted free agent struggled offensively and defensively this season before sustaining a long-term lower-body injury.
But he still has so much value, and the Islanders aren't going to move him in any type of deal unless it benefits them tremendously.
Any trade rumors you've seen or will see that involve Dobson being moved for picks, prospects, or younger depth options are not realistic for the Islanders.
The Islanders would be looking for an elite forward who can help transcend the offense for years to come--not just this year--and not just years down the line.
Names like Elias Pettersson and Jordan Kyrou make sense for the Islanders in a deal that would see them part ways with Dobson.
But the Islanders are not trading a 25-year-old defenseman and making him the best player involved in a trade.
Even a player like Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers or Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser wouldn't make any sense for two reasons. One, injuries have played a part in both careers, and both are pending unrestricted free agents.
Yes, the Islanders did trade for Bo Horvat and sign him to an eight-year deal after being acquired, but that was a gamble, one that paid off.
But, in that trade, the Islanders didn't gamble away a Dobson. They gambled away a conditional first-round pick, a prospect who fell in the NHL draft in Aatu Räty, and a struggling middle-six forward in Anthony Beauvillier.
A potential deal that involved Dobson would look incredibly different, more of the blockbuster variety.
Sure, you can look at how the Islanders have played in Dobson's absence and get caught up in the fact that Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich, and Adam Boqvist have been perfect fits in Patrick Roy's system.
And given Dobson's play this season, it's very easy to say that the Islanders have been better with him out of the lineup.
But it's also fair to say that the Islanders in front of goaltender Ilya Sorokin have been better lately -- that includes the forwards and penalty kill -- allowing Sorokin to play to the best of his abilities.
The bottom six forwards set the tone early in games, and the entire Islanders team—not just the new players—have stepped up and put their best skates forward.
Are we also going to say that the Islanders are better with Ryan Pulock out of the lineup?
This is not to take away from any of the new defenders, who have played to their puck-moving strength, which has paid dividends.
But who is to say that Dobson wouldn't be flourishing right now, maybe in Perunovich's spot alongside Adam Pelech?
Is it possible that Dobson and Romanov are just not compatible enough to be full-time partners, despite the organization's hopes that they would be?
Could DeAngelo's basic game just be more beneficial for Romanov, who has evolved into much more than a defensive defenseman?
The biggest question the Islanders must answer before involving Dobson is what kind of player he can be long-term.
Is Dobson more like the elite offensive defenseman we saw a year ago when he recorded 70 points (10 goals, 60 assists), or is he more of a 40-point defenseman?
To be honest, he's probably somewhere in between.
The Islanders have choices. They can trade Dobson and fill major offensive needs for a player, giving to get. Or they can say that Dobson is no-question is part of this core and find different ways to try and get the offense.
The real question will be if Dobson does stay, do the Islanders offer him a long-term contract, or do they go on a bridge deal?
Given the cap going up by essentially an elite player every summer going forward, it would benefit Dobson to sign a bridge deal, prove his worth, and then cash in at 27 with a big-time contract.
It's a gamble for the player and the Islanders as if Dobson is more like the guy he was a year ago, signing him to an eight-year deal makes much more sense to keep the AAV as low as possible.
There's so much that can happen between now and the trade deadline, which is a month away. Let's see how this all plays out and where the Islanders are in the standings come March 7.
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