The top of the 2018 NHL Draft has several options on the blueline and Noah Dobson is right in the mix to be potentially the second defenceman selected after consensus #1 Rasmus Dahlin.
Unlike some of the others top Canadian defensive prospects, Dobson made the choice at age 15 to play for the Under-18 and U-20 teams at the Red Bull Academy in Salzburg, Austria which is a decision that his current coach belives is paying big dividends.
"That's the difference between him and other prospects; Noah takes the actions needed to becoming a pro," Acadie-Bathurst coach Mario Pouliot told
NHL.com
. "I think his decision to go to Austria to improve his hockey was the first step in the right direction to kind of get ready to play junior."
Dobson's progress didn't stop overseas either. Heading into his sophmore season with the Titans, he placed a big emphasis on getting stronger which combined with his on-ice skills set the table for a breakout season for the young defender.
"Last year I wasn't as big and strong as I am now, so it's about having a good stick and active feet," Dobson said. "I think when going up against good players, you have to take away time and space and always have good angles. It was good for me to take that on last year at 16."
It's expected that Dobson will be selected in the top 10 of the upcoming draft but with his stock rising it's not out of the question for him to slide into the first 5 selections. Throughout the entire process thought, Dobson has remained even keel.
"I think coming into your draft year there's a lot of hype and talk about where players will go, but I try not to put too much expectations on it," Dobson said. "It's all out of your control. I think I've been happy with the season. I really built it on the experience I learned last year and I'm playing with more confidence, so that's helped me."
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