EXCLUSIVE: Islanders Noah Dobson Turning Defense Into Offense

In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson discusses his growth on the defensive side of the puck and how it's made an impact on his offensive output.

"First of all, I think that too much criticism has been of Dobson. Look at his point production. Very similar to last year. I believe that we put a lot of high expectations on him. Maybe I did, in signing him to a contract [...] I've spent some time with him postseason, as recently as today. And, you know, he has a great mindset. He knows what he can do to be better and will do that. And I have high expectations for him.

"I think he's going to be one of your elite scoring defensemen in this league before his career is over."

Those were the words of New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello about his 23-year-old blue liner Noah Dobson prior to the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.

Dobson proved he could be an elite offensive defenseman in the NHL, scoring 13 goals for a second straight season. 

The area of his game that needed the most work was his play in the Islanders zone, specifically around the net. When the puck did land on Dobson's stick, with a chance to break out of the zone, more often than not, a turnover or an errand pass made life much more difficult than it should have been. 

A major concern was his failure to box out opponents, which Lambert called him out on during a practice.

"We're all grown-ups around here where we can take a beating when it's needed […] So I think that was the main message, just making sure we're taking care of our details," Dobson said at the time. 

It was obvious Dobson's confidence had taken an incredible hit come the end of 2022-23, and confidence is kind of everything as a professional athlete. 

It also didn't help that a solid percentage of the fans were calling for him to be traded throughout the summer months, as despite his offensive abilities, his defensive play was limiting his usage and overall capping his rather high ceiling. 

Dobson's defensive struggles were front and center when the puck dropped to kick off the 2023-24 NHL season against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 14. 

Despite being on the ice for two Islanders goals, including Adam Pelech's game-winner late in the third period, Dobson was also on the ice for both Sabres goals, with a turnover and three shots in 19:24 minutes, in a 3-2 win. 

Fans continued to pile on complaints toward the young defender, because that was certainly the way to go to boost his confidence. 

"I think it's just one of those games. It's the first game of the year." Dobson told The Hockey News. "But, like going in, I felt prepared defensively. I felt like I got better in areas over the summer and training camp."

The fact of that matter is that since opening night, Dobson's defensive play hasn't been a thorn in the Islanders' backside. Quite frankly, it's been the complete opposite. 

Dobson's been playing like a shutdown defenseman back there, lining up alongside Adam Pelech for nine games and Sebastian Aho for two games when No. 3 missed time. 

One could argue that he's been stronger defensively than Pelech, which no one would have expected, maybe ever. 

In 10 games since opening night, Dobson has been on the ice for just four goals against at five-on-five play, turning the puck over just five times.

Dobson has had stronger positioning on opposing shots, with quicker reaction time, as he's averaged 2.82 blocks per game after averaging 1.33 blocks a season ago.

His responsible play earned him minutes on the penalty kill, with two PKers missing time. 

"I wouldn't say I love seeing those guys out of the lineup, but, I mean, it's just an opportunity," Dobson said. "Anytime you can get opportunities, you want to make the best of it. 

"Both those guys are big pieces of our back end, so we definitely don't want to have them out, but like I said, it's just an opportunity. I'm just trying to do my part, chipping in, helping out, and taking advantage of the opportunity while the guys are out."

With Mayfield missing as much time as he did and then Pelech hitting the shelf for the better part of two games, along with Islanders head coach Lane Lambert running five defensemen in most third periods, Dobson was averaging over 26 minutes per game for the first time in his career.

It wasn't a hope for head coach Lane Lambert that Dobson raised his game defensively with two key blue liners out. It was a necessity, and Dobson shined in a situation where, in years past, he may have fallen. 

"With guys out, you really had to make sure that you stepped up in that role," Dobson said. "It's just been a mindset thing for me. I think I feel like when I'm chipping in offensively, it starts in the defensive zone. I'm breaking up plays. I'm strong in that end, and I'm going the other way. 

"So I think there's just a correlation there. I'm just trying to take care of that first and then the other things come off that."

"The other things" have certainly come from that strong defensive play, as Dobson has turned defense into offense with 11 points in 11 games. 

His four goals are tied for second on the team, trailing just Brock Nelson's five, and he is tied for second in the NHL among defenseman. His seven assists lead Long Island, while his 28 shots on goal lead all Islanders defensemen. 

Because of his effectiveness in all three zones, Lambert has played Dobson the most per night out of anyone on his roster. 

We don't think Dobson or Lambert could have written a better script to start his season. 

All the credit needs to be on Dobson for earning extra opportunities and making the most of them. 

"It's been a good start. I think I had a good offseason, where I've come in really prepared, and I've been confident in my game," Dobson said. "And I try to put an onus on going out each night and finding ways to help the team.

Offensively producing is something that I got to chip in with, but also defensively, being reliable, especially with those guys [having been out, playing in more defensive situations. 

"I feel like I'm playing with confidence each game and just continued to try and grow, but overall, I've been happy with the start and just want to keep building on. it."

The importance of this early success for Dobson is the balance in his game. His offensive play hasn't meant a drop-off in his defensive play and vice versa. 

When Lamoriello inked Dobson to a three-year deal worth $12 million ($4 million AAV) rather than a longer-term deal ahead of the 2022-23 season, the Hall of Fame general manager had his reasons.

"We feel where Noah is at right now, to make that decision [...] we have to see more with Noah," Lamoriello said. "He has to continue to grow the way he did this year [2021-22]. 

"So we certainly would love to sign any player as long as we can, for the right cap hit, the right price, and I think we have to see a little more from Noah to make that long-term decision."

Eleven games is certainly too small of a sample size to gauge just how effective Dobson will be over the course of this season. 

But the early season success cannot be overlooked. 

If Dobson can continue to be this consistent, not only will he quickly establish himself as a true No. 1 defenseman, but there's a good chance he will find himself in the Norris Trophy conversation, maybe as soon as this year.