New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson spoke with The Hockey News on what's allowed him to have such a strong start to the 2023-24 season.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- Despite making the playoffs in 2022-23, the New York Islanders season was anything but smooth.

For Noah Dobson, it was another season where he showed flashes of offensive brilliance but wasn't showing the defensive development needed to be a premier defender in the NHL.

The Islanders had a long summer after being bounced out of the first round after a six-game battle with the Carolina Hurricanes, and Dobson used that time to focus heavily on his defensive game. 

"We had a long offseason. In years past, I wasn't able to and didn't have as much time to really put together a full summer," Dobson told The Hockey News on Tuesday morning. "Coming out of juniors, it was a lot of hockey. So it's nice just to have that time to fully dial in the training, the nutritional side of things, making sure I added some weight the right way, strength, all that stuff, but it was just a mindset of going into the summer with a plan, and I'm feeling good with how I was able to execute that plan."

So far in 2023-24. Dobson hasn't just been an "alright" defender. He's been an above-average defender, and Dobson credits the turnaround to his confidence level.

"Having the confidence to go in the corner and defend tighter gaps, getting up the ice, I'm just finding ways to use my strength on the defensive side," Dobson said. "But a lot of it just comes down to, like, my total confidence. I've come in with the confidence to go out and do it, and it's been good so far.

"I just knew after last season that there was another level I needed to get to, and I knew it was there. I just had to go out and get there."

The Islanders are without defensemen Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Scott Mayfield and Lambert's relied heavily on Dobson to be that guy. 

Dobson was well aware that he knew that he had to raise his game even more to help counteract the monumental losses. 

"I think with guys out in the role and the minutes I was playing, I needed to step up, and I think as collectively as a group, as a whole, like the backend and all the forwards, goalies, everyone's stepped up," Dobson said. 

"You can tell when we are going good; everyone's connected as five. Everyone's coming back and helping each other out. It's definitely important as an individual to step up, but also, I really liked the way the group has really stepped up and come together during that time."

The fifth-year NHLer is averaging a career-high 25:43 minutes per game this season and has played over 26 minutes in four of the last five, logging 31:31 in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins.

Due to the injuries, Dobson is back playing with 23-year-old Alexander Romanov, a pairing that was given the opportunity to start together a year ago.

However, it was a short-lived duo, as Romanov struggled early in a brand-new system while Dobson's defensive issues continued.

But, since being back together, the two have emerged as a legitimate No. 1 pairing, which may be the one positive to come out of a banged-up backend. 

THN asked Dobson what's changed for this pairing from last year to this year.

"For him, it is not easy coming in, obviously learning the new system, learning the new guys' ways," Dobson said. "It's a difficult transition, especially for a guy from a foreign country whose first language isn't English, right? 

"But this year, he's a lot more comfortable. He knows how to play, and I think we're just taking steps with confidence and comfort. We've been able to work well together this time, and he's playing really well, as well, which is good to see."

After back-to-back 13-goal seasons for Dobson, there was no question he had the offensive talent to be effective. 

In large part to being effective defensively, Dobson has flourished offensively, playing to a level we just haven't seen from him yet.

With five goals and 27 assists in 30 games, Dobson became just the second Islander defenseman to record 27 assists through 30 games and the first to achieve this feat since Denis Potvin did so back in 1975-76.

Not only is Dobson's name attached to an Islanders legend, but his 27 assists are also third in the NHL in assists amongst defensemen, trailing Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (29) and Vancouver Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes (30).

After an eight-assist week, the NHL named Dobson their third star of the week:

Dobson has shined at 5-on-5, but where he's really been a standout has been on the power play. 

Last season, the Islanders power play operated at 15.8 percent, third-worst in the NHL and a primary reason why New York needed all 82 games to qualify for the postseason.

It didn't help that Mathew Barzal was out for the second half of the season. Regardless, the key to a successful power play fell on the shoulders of Dobson, at the point. 

This season, the power play is operating at a 25.3 percent clip, good for seventh best in the NHL. 

Out of the 21 power-play goals the Islanders have scored, Dobson has points on 12 of them, with one goal and 11 assists, and has been on the ice for 17 of them. 

Dobson spoke on what's clicking offensively and how the power play success has certainly helped. 

"I just try to keep it simple, and I'm not trying to do too much," Dobson said. "The guys have done a really good job of trying to move pucks quickly and get the puck into our forwards' hands, and then when I've found opportunities to get up and play, I've made the most of it.

"The power play has been going well, which helps. That also gives you confidence with the five-on-five offensive game when everyone's clicking, and guys are making plays."

It's been a multi-year process for Dobson to go from being a young player who relied on a handful of veterans to someone who can be relied upon in all situations.

Islanders head coach Lane Lambert had trust in Dobson despite the mistakes. Given Lambert's usage of his young blueline weapon this season, it's clear that the trust is higher than ever. 

"I can't pinpoint the exact time [Dobson earned my trust], but it's been quite a while. It has not just been this year," Lambert said. "We count on other people to play in certain situations late in games, but Noah is the kind of guy who understands, and part of that development and part of those situations came from when he was younger here and killing penalties in practice and doing things like that in practice when he wasn't playing every game, so he's just soaked up everything."

Dobson's tremendous rise couldn't come at a better time for the Islanders, and with his game reaching levels that many thought weren't possible, especially defensively, the sky is truly the limit for this budding superstar. 

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.

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