The Toronto Maple Leafs are poised to make a deep playoff run this season however ought to be trying to bolster their depth if they need an actual probability at profitable their first Stanley Cup since 1967. There have not too long ago been stories that they’re thinking about signing NCAA free agent Luke Haymes, however there hasn’t been current smoke behind any potential trades. Different groups across the league have been fairly energetic, with the New York Rangers bringing in J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, the Anaheim Geese bringing in Jacob Trouba from the Rangers, and nearly each workforce seemingly busy on the telephones attempting to enhance their roster. Nevertheless, there’s one participant the Maple Leafs ought to be trying to goal if he’s obtainable.
New York Islanders’ defender Noah Dobson, who’s 25 years outdated, was drafted twelfth general by the Islanders within the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. This season, he has scored six objectives and added 18 assists for twenty-four factors by means of 46 video games. All through his profession, he has scored 46 objectives and added 169 assists for 215 factors by means of 363 video games which comes out to a 0.59 points-per-game common. He has established himself as a robust offensive-minded defender who has been slowly enhancing defensively, and his identify could have been on the market not too long ago.
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The Canucks had been rumoured to be contemplating shifting Elias Pettersson on high of Miller being moved already. The Islanders had been linked to Pettersson and that’s when Dobson’s identify received on the market as a possible commerce candidate. Nevertheless, Elliotte Friedman believes the Islanders aren’t procuring Dobson to different groups, however reasonably his identify received on the market as a result of the workforce pursued a particular participant. Both means, the Maple Leafs ought to attempt to see what the asking worth for Dobson could be. His identify was on the market already, they need to see what it could take to convey him in.
Dobson Would Price a Lot to Purchase
Dobson is within the last season of his present contract with a $4 million cap hit and is a pending restricted free agent (RFA). Final season, supply sheets got to each Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg by the St. Louis Blues who ended up getting them each, so groups is likely to be hesitant to permit RFA’s to enter free company if different groups have the cap area to make a proposal. With that in thoughts, the Islanders might take into account shifting Dobson on the 2025 Commerce Deadline in the event that they aren’t shut on a brand new contract by then, reasonably than shedding him for nearly nothing.
The largest subject with concentrating on Dobson is how a lot it could value to amass him. He’s an elite defender who might plug into the Maple Leafs’ second-pairing and will grow to be a large a part of their future as they attempt to win a championship. Realistically, they might probably should commerce a high prospect, a first-round choose, and an NHL-ready participant. A commerce probably seems to be just like the Maple Leafs buying Dobson in trade for Easton Cowan, Nick Robertson, their 2026 first-round choose, and a 2025 third-round choose. They might even have to maneuver Ryan Reaves to unlock some further cap area to convey on his complete contract, however for a participant like Dobson, they need to be keen to make these strikes.
It doesn’t sound like Dobson is being shopped by the Islanders, but when his identify was tossed on the market already, a commerce may be accomplished for the proper worth. The Maple Leafs have the belongings to make one thing work and ought to be all around the Islanders heading towards the commerce deadline. They might simply wait till free company, however there’s no assure they might be capable of persuade Dobson to signal the supply sheet. Both means, they need to pursue him earlier than the March seventh deadline and ought to be keen to pay the costly asking worth.
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