The Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues are among the teams involved in trade talks with the New York Islanders for defenseman Noah Dobson, TSN's Chris Johnston reported on Thursday's episode of 'Insider Trading.'
Dobson's preference is to stay in the Eastern Conference, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Dobson tallied 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games last season to lead all Islanders defenders in scoring. He ranked second to Tony DeAngelo on New York by averaging 23:16, and his minus-16 rating was second-worst on the roster.
The right-handed rearguard posted 10 goals and a career-high 70 points in 79 contests in 2023-24, and finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting.
Dobson is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. The 25-year-old is eligible for arbitration and is coming off a three-year contract that had a $4-million cap hit. His next deal will take him to unrestricted free agency.
The Canadiens need a defenseman on the right side, with Alexandre Carrier the only right-handed option currently on the NHL roster. Montreal has right-handed defense prospects David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux in the pipeline.
St. Louis has veterans Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk on the right side of their depth chart. Philip Broberg was the only St. Louis defender under the age of 25 to play a full-time role last season.
