Hold the brakes on Noah Dobson coming to the Detroit Red Wings. As NHL front offices prepare for the 2025 Draft, New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson unexpectedly floated through trade rumors. According to Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, the Wings were reportedly considering shipping J.T. Compher, Jonatan Berggren, and draft picks in exchange for Dobson.
However, it appears the initial reports came out of Russia. But according to more established insiders, the Islanders are not actively shopping Dobson. Welp, that can't be good news to wake up to you if you're a Wings fan. However, per Sportsnet's Elliote Friedman, the Islanders are "quietly listening" on offers for their star defenseman.
At just 25 years old, Dobson has already logged significant minutes as a top-pairing blueliner
But with the Islanders navigating tight cap constraints, whispers of a Dobson trade have emerged, but it appears the wildest rumor has been put to bed for now.
Furthermore, the mock trade just didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense for the Islanders. They're looking for a bona fide top-six forward or a player with a significant upside on a cheap deal. Detroit's package may carry some depth, but it lacks the star power Islanders executives would require to be willing to part ways with Dobson.
Contract talks are also playing a role. Dobson recently switched agents from Andrew Maloney to Judd Moldaver and Olivier Fortier of Wasserman. When you're with an entirely different team, and they're trying to get you the best deal available, there's some shopping to be done. However, it doesn't appear that the Islanders are in any rush to trade him.
Lastly, the Red Wings do have a good amount of cap space. But with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider surely to sign contract extensions in the future, adding Dobson's anticipated price tag, which could be anywhere around the $11 million range, things could get a little right. For now, it appears the chances of a Dobson trade remain remote.
It's a shame because Dobson would be an electric edition to the Wings and his presence is much-needed on the blue line.
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