June 20, 2025 | 12:40pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

ISLANDERS EXPLORING TRADE MARKET ON DOBSON

Noah Dobson, defenceman

The New York Islanders aim to be a playoff team next season and GM Mathieu Darche is expected to be active this summer as he attempts to fill his roster.

With more than $21 million in salary cap space, the Islanders have some flexibility to work with, but need to allocate a big chunk of those funds to pending restricted free agents Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Simon Holmstrom and Maxim Tsyplakov.

Darche has been exploring the trade market on centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is entering the final year of his contract and comes with a $5 million salary cap hit.

Beyond that, though, it appears the Islanders are also evaluating the market on Dobson after reports surfaced that he is looking for upwards of $11 million per year on a long-term contract.

During Friday’s episode of “32 Thoughts,” Elliotte Friedman reported the Islanders are “investigating all possibilities” and “trying to find out what’s out there” in terms of interest in Dobson.

“I have heard quietly that the Islanders are testing the market on him,” he said. “I’ve had a few people tell me that Dobson is the guy really to keep an eye on. At this point in time, I don’t even know if they do it.”

Dobson, 25, is on an expiring three-year, $12 million contract and can become an RFA July 1.

There appears to be legitimate interest in him, but Darche and the Islanders need to weigh out trading him versus signing him to an eight-figure AAV.

“I think they know he’s going to be an eight-figure guy,” Friedman said. “So, the Islanders have to decide, are we going to pay that or is someone else going to pay that?”