NHL analyst Craig Button delivered a bold take on the Montreal Canadiens’ trade for defenseman Noah Dobson, calling it a “phenomenal” move for the Habs.
Dobson was acquired by Montreal from the New York Islanders in exchange for forward prospect Emil Heineman and the Canadiens’ 2025 16th and 17th overall draft picks.
The Canadiens then signed the 25-year-old Dobson, a pending restricted free agent, to an eight-year, $76 million contract carrying an annual average value of $9.5 million.
Speaking on TSN 690 Montreal radio, Button praised the trade from the Canadiens’ perspective:
“We’ll start with the value. That’s the value of a top-pair defenseman, and that age and what Noah has done so early in his career, I think it’s a phenomenal trade for the Montreal Canadiens. Let me emphasize — phenomenal,” Button said.
“Where do you find top-pair defensemen going to be 25 years of age? I mean, he’s an Olympic candidate for certain. He’s got only growth ahead in his game. … It’s almost larceny by the Montreal Canadiens getting Dobson.”
Dobson put up strong numbers for the Islanders last season, recording 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games. The 12th overall pick in 2018 has developed into one of the league’s premier young defensemen.
NHL analyst Sean Campbell’s take on the Montreal Canadiens acquiring Noah Dobson
Sean Campbell shares a view similar to Craig Button, believing that adding Noah Dobson would be a significant upgrade for the Montreal Canadiens.
Describing Noah Dobson as an “offensive defenseman (who) skates really well,” Campbell notes that Dobson has averaged over 23 minutes of ice time per game with the Islanders. Two seasons ago, Dobson put up an impressive 70 points.
Campbell said:
“So, this is the kind of player that’s going to come in and be on the Montreal Canadians top pairing. That’s why it took two first round picks in a player in the trade.”
While Noah Dobson has good size, Campbell doesn’t see that as his main strength. Instead, Campbell pointed to Dobson’s skating ability and how he uses his size to protect the puck, especially in the offensive zone, where he has a powerful shot and consistently scores in double digits.
“I think this is the rebuild is into another phase it’s about making the team a whole lot better this is step one you’re getting a star player that is going to get paid $9.5 million over the next eight years,” he added.
However, Campbell doesn’t believe that the Canadiens are done making moves yet. He speculated that they may look to add a couple more major pieces to get to the next level after making the playoffs this past season.
alt=”ARJUN B” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Bhargav
Recent Comments