Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens by the New York Islanders on Friday and signed an eight-year, $76 million contract. It has an average annual value of $9.5 million.
Dobson, who could have become a restricted free agent on July 1, signed the contract prior to the trade. He would have been eligible to sign an offer sheet for a maximum of seven years with any other team.
“Once conversations started with my representation we tried to work on finding a deal and staying on Long Island," Dobson said. "That was always the goal to start but unable to find any common ground on that. And at some point we just felt it would be best to go in different directions and look for a trade. And I’ve got nothing but great things to say about the Islanders organization and my time there. Truly I love those guys and wish them nothing but the best moving forward. But at the end of the day, things like this happen, and to be coming to the Montreal Canadiens is super exciting for me, and I have a fresh start here and I’m really looking forward to it.”
When asked about signing an eight-year contract to be with the Canadiens, Dobson said it was, "Without hesitation a no-brainer for me."
"Just the opportunity to be part of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s an honor," he continued. "It’s the best hockey market in the world. The fans are incredible. I love playing at the Bell Centre, and just also the group of players they have already and the talent they have on that team and what they’ve been building. I’m just super excited to join that group and add to it, and excited about what we can do down the road here in the future.”
New York received two first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (Nos. 16 and 17) and forward Emil Heineman in the trade. Heineman had 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 62 games as a rookie with the Canadiens last season and one goal in five playoff games. The 23-year-old can become a restricted free agent on July 1.
The Islanders selected forward Victor Eklund from Djurgarden (Sweden) with the No. 16 pick, and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson from Barrie (OHL) with the No. 17 pick. New York, which won the draft lottery, selected Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman from Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, with the No. 1 pick.
Dobson, a 25-year-old defenseman, had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games for the Islanders this season.
“Noah, I wouldn’t describe him as an overly physical defender. I think he defends with his feet and with his reach and range, and I think if you look at how we play and how we try to deny pucks a lot and deny ice ... his ability to retrieve pucks and kind of spring the offense for us was a big piece," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "We see how Lane (Hutson) has done that for us this year, and we’re confident we did a lot of homework on him."
Selected by New York with the No. 12 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Dobson has 230 points (50 goals, 180 assists) in 388 regular-season games and 10 assists in 31 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“I’m familiar with some of the guys," Dobson said. "Nick Suzuki from Hockey Canada stuff, the world juniors and that stuff. I played in the world championships with Mike Matheson just a few months ago with Team Canada. But just from playing against the guys you have that familiarity, and nothing but great things have been said about the organization, the group of guys they have in the locker room, and obviously just the opportunity to be a Canadien is something you don’t take lightly. And as a kid in Canada growing up, it’s a dream come true. So, just extremely excited and honored for the opportunity.”
NHL.com independent correspondent Sean Farrell contributed to this report.
