Stefen Rosner On State Of Islanders

For Noah Dobson's shortcomings defensively and his offensive struggles this season (six goals, 18 assists through 46 games) after a 70-point 2023-24 campaign, he is a key piece to the New York Islanders.

Long Island will now experience life without the 25-year-old pending restricted free agent due to a lower-body injury:

While no one on the Islanders wanted to take the "No Dobson" test, it's important to see how the squad grades in his absence.

You know what they say, "You don't know how much you miss someone until they're gone."

"I don't try to overthink the minutes," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said when asked about how he would use his defenseman in Dobson's absence. "Let's play the game and see how it goes. I don't want our guys feeling that they have to feel the loss of Noah and have to play those minutes. It sounds so negative. I mean, just play our game and see how it goes. I just want us to focus on the short term, stay in the present moment, and have a good start, and we'll go from there.

"And I think it would be so much easier that way than trying to make a big picture of something that we don't even know."

We do know one thing. Dobson is due for a new contract this summer.

While his annual value may have dipped due to his struggles, he's still expected to earn at least $7 million annually.

Heading into this season, Dobson was a shoo-in for an eight-year deal at a minimum of $8 million annually. The salary cap going up exponentially doesn't help the Islanders' case in saving money on Dobson's next deal despite his play.

The question the Islanders have to answer is how much they feel Dobson is worth to the overall success of the team going forward, a team that could look a lot different following the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline and 2025 NHL Draft,

And the question after that is, if they feel they can survive without No. 8, does his name get included in a trade package for an elite talent if a trade of that sort becomes available?

We here at THN have kept an ear close to the situation going on with the Vancouver Canucks. We know that the Islanders love Elias Pettersson, and we know that Vancouver has tremendous interest in Noah Dobson -- not for each other, per se.

For the Islanders to acquire any elite talent, Dobson's name is likely at the top of the other team's wishlist, and rightfully so.

Dobson's injury may have ended any potential trade talks or at least put them on the back burner until there's a clear indication of when he'll be able to return.

Who knows if the Islanders have any genuine interest in moving Dobson, even if it's for the potential to acquire a big fish.

But if the Islanders are still trying to figure that out, these upcoming weeks without him will provide some answers.

The one thing already known is that the Islanders don't have any young right-side defenseman in the system that could make the jump if Dobson was on the move.

These next few weeks will likely show that, regardless of Dobson's flaws, the Islanders need him in their lineup now and in the future.

Is he the biggest reason for wins and losses? No, but his style fits extremely well with Alexander Romanov, who has taken his game to the next level.

With Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock playing the best brand of hockey we've seen from the two in a bit and Scott Mayfield having a solid bounce-back season, the Islanders' defense may not be the problem it showed to be in the first half when they were struggling to stay healthy.

The upcoming decisions on Dobson will affect the Islanders' short-term and long-term future, one way or another.

The Islanders begin their "Without Dobson" part of the season when the puck drops at UBS Arena on Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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Islanders Noah Dobson’s Injury & Its Affect - - Now & When His Contract Expires