Player Discussion: Noah Dobson

[PWJunior]

Dobson kicks off the 2021 season well. 20+ minutes and extensive PP time. Still needs a lot of work, but a lot of good things.

Generally looks smooth in everything he does, good stick, strong 1st pass, much more confident.

Just turned 21 about a week ago, the future is bright.

 

[1 Timer]

Kid skates the puck out of danger really well.

 

[WangMustGo]

Dobson next to Greene, under the watchful eye of Trotz is a dream. This kid is going to be the best home grown defenseman in a long, long time.

 

[Brunomics]

Dobson next to Greene, under the watchful eye of Trotz is a dream. This kid is going to be the best home grown defenseman in a long, long time.

Pelech
Pulock
Dobson

When this kid fully matures the top half of the D core is going to be insanely good.

 

[NC 1972]

So also put this in the game thread, he's definitely added significantly to his lanky frame no longer just tall but also solid.

 

[blinkman360]

What a beaut

 

[PWJunior]

So also put this in the game thread, he's definitely added significantly to his lanky frame no longer just tall but also solid.

He no longer looks Bambi-ish, but he is still on the lanky side. His work with Seidenberg has definitely paid off and his man strength should start to emerge now that he has turned 21, but he still has a ways to go. He is listed at 195, I think he eventually settles in around 210 when fully mature in a couple of years.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I remember the draft, I still consider it a minor miracle he dropped to 11-12 for the Isles to draft. I would have moved up to draft him, but Lou read it correctly. Dobson fell into the Isles lap. I can already see him being one of the top D men of the 2018 draft. This was a deep draft for D men. I just commented the other night that Romanov looks like a stud, ironically he almost fell to the Isles before the Wilde pick.

 

[buud]

He no longer looks Bambi-ish, but he is still on the lanky side. His work with Seidenberg has definitely paid off and his man strength should start to emerge now that he has turned 21, but he still has a ways to go. He is listed at 195, I think he eventually settles in around 210 when fully mature in a couple of years.

agreed.

the only thing that i was kinda worried about, was his battle level, in front of our own net. i was pleasantly surprised last night. seemed to battle hard, and was smart (taking away the opponents stick, positioning, etc...).

i might even take him in my hockey pool...

 

[PWJunior]

agreed.

the only thing that i was kinda worried about, was his battle level, in front of our own net. i was pleasantly surprised last night. seemed to battle hard, and was smart (taking away the opponents stick, positioning, etc...).

i might even take him in my hockey pool...

I'm surprised Trotz has him as the #1PPQB right out of the gate, he should rack up decent points this season. If your league is a keeper league, I'd pick him up ASAP as he'll get better.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I'm surprised Trotz has him as the #1PPQB right out of the gate, he should rack up decent points this season. If your league is a keeper league, I'd pick him up ASAP as he'll get better.

I like the Dobson-Pulock point pairing. Dobson seems to be a much better QB than others. His vision is terrific. He made a cross ice pass last night, that I think surprised a player, I am expecting more of this with the more he plays. Some people on the Main board took this as a slight to Toews when I said he would not be missed by the Isles, but I beiieve infact I know Dobson will end up being a big upgrade to Toews by year's end.

 

[MJF]

I'm surprised Trotz has him as the #1PPQB right out of the gate, he should rack up decent points this season. If your league is a keeper league, I'd pick him up ASAP as he'll get better.

It’s the only way to get Trotz’s plan of having Pulock in the Ovi spot to work. Dobson skates well enough to get back if the puck is turned over. Dobson also handles to puck well enough not to quash us moving around to set up a shot. Maybe this alignment will finally make our power play a little more potent.

 

[MJF]

I like the Dobson-Pulock point pairing. Dobson seems to be a much better QB than others. His vision is terrific. He made a cross ice pass last night, that I think surprised a player, I am expecting more of this with the more he plays. Some people on the Main board took this as a slight to Toews when I said he would not be missed by the Isles, but I beiieve infact I know Dobson will end up being a big upgrade to Toews by year's end.

Toews was never quite good enough with his passing or defense coverage on the power play. My money’s on Dobson surpassing Toews in this aspect.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Toews was never quite good enough with his passing or defense coverage on the power play. My money’s on Dobson surpassing Toews in this aspect.

Toews was a nice draft pick, 4th rounders making an impact in the NHL is a success. I considered him to be the Isles #4 or #5 last year. Behind Pulock, Pelech, Leddy. It is debatable if he was more valuable than Boychuck and Mayfield. Mayfield is relied on defensively by Trotz. I may have him ahead of Toews who has more offence. But for me Dobson will pass him there too, and defensively by far in time. I really like the fact Trotz was not shy in his usage last night. It augers well that Dobson is ready to take man steps as opposed to baby steps as with last year's breaking into the NHL.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Toews was a nice draft pick, 4th rounders making an impact in the NHL is a success. I considered him to be the Isles #4 or #5 last year. Behind Pulock, Pelech, Leddy. It is debatable if he was more valuable than Boychuck and Mayfield. Mayfield is relied on defensively by Trotz. I may have him ahead of Toews who has more offence. But for me Dobson will pass him there too, and defensively by far in time. I really like the fact Trotz was not shy in his usage last night. It augers well that Dobson is ready to take man steps as opposed to baby steps as with last year's breaking into the NHL.

Been great having you on board Soldier. Great analysis, I think the reason Toews was regarded as highly as we as, over Mayfield & Boychuk was due to his mobility.

I liked him a lot and think he'll be a great player but was by no means heart broken. Dobson has a much higher ceiling and is going to be munching minutes by the end of this shortened season.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Been great having you on board Soldier. Great analysis, I think the reason Toews was regarded as highly as we as, over Mayfield & Boychuk was due to his mobility.

I liked him a lot and think he'll be a great player but was by no means heart broken. Dobson has a much higher ceiling and is going to be munching minutes by the end of this shortened season.

The return of 2, 2nd rd picks was good. Considering again he was a 4th rd pick orginally. He is also 25. Really a success story for the Islanders, who waited patiently for Devon. I am by no means running him down. I like him, he was a good team player that fit in with the Isles group. Wish him the best. I think we can see why he was expendable, Dobson looks like he can fill in, and then some when he gains even more exp.

 

[MJF]

Toews was a nice draft pick, 4th rounders making an impact in the NHL is a success. I considered him to be the Isles #4 or #5 last year. Behind Pulock, Pelech, Leddy. It is debatable if he was more valuable than Boychuck and Mayfield.

Toews and the guys I bolded brought different attributes to the table and were asked to do different things than Pelech, Boychuck and Mayfield. Everyone on this team has to be responsible in their own end. Toews was rarely going to be on the ice for the last minute of a tie or a 1 goal lead. Dobson made Toews expendable. Not that Toews was a bad player, but I think the upside on Dobson is higher.

 

[mm11]

Dobson looks like a horse Trotz will be running very soon. Nice draft pick, even better the way the Isles have groomed him. Long gone are the days of rushing kids. Thanks Lou and trotz

 

[Poliz24]

Isn't nice to see a GM and coach not rush a player and actually let them develop. Isles fans have been saying this for decades and we finally have people making smart decisions for once. Then you see the outcome, is someone cutting an onion?

 

[PROMputt]

Toews and the guys I bolded brought different attributes to the table and were asked to do different things than Pelech, Boychuck and Mayfield. Everyone on this team has to be responsible in their own end. Toews was rarely going to be on the ice for the last minute of a tie or a 1 goal lead. Dobson made Toews expendable. Not that Toews was a bad player, but I think the upside on Dobson is higher.

I agree and can I also add I think Toews was not as good last year as he was the previous season. I am sure he is going to put up more points in Colorado vs New York mostly because of the systems that are played. I really liked DT and in a perfect world if the Isles could have fit his 4.1 mil under the cap I believe he would be an Islander for the next 4 years (unfortunate some bad contracts will prevent this). But many outside of the Islander fans here made Toews sound like the next coming of Stefan Persson. Looking at Dobson last night (1 game I know but with Trotz entrusting him with so much responsibility he has to see something and I will trust the coach) I think the Islanders will be A-OK on defense.

 

[MJF]

I agree and can I also add I think Toews was not as good last year as he was the previous season. I am sure he is going to put up more points in Colorado vs New York mostly because of the systems that are played. I really liked DT and in a perfect world if the Isles could have fit his 4.1 mil under the cap I believe he would be an Islander for the next 4 years (unfortunate some bad contracts will prevent this). But many outside of the Islander fans here made Toews sound like the next coming of Stefan Persson. Looking at Dobson last night (1 game I know but with Trotz entrusting him with so much responsibility he has to see something and I will trust the coach) I think the Islanders will be A-OK on defense.

Agreed. I thought Toews had a rough regular season last year, but after the pause had a pretty good playoff.

 

[PWJunior]

Isn't nice to see a GM and coach not rush a player and actually let them develop. Isles fans have been saying this for decades and we finally have people making smart decisions for once. Then you see the outcome, is someone cutting an onion?

While I get what you're saying, Dobson is the most accelerated d-man prospect the Isles have had in quite some time. The Isles have traditionally been very patient and have let all of their highly drafted d-men (I will set the criteria at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders) spend their D+1 and D+2 seasons in their Junior leagues (CHL or NCAA) before turning pro. After turning pro, getting AHL experience first was a prerequisite.

Hamonic spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL, spent the first half of his D+3 season in the AHL before staying full time with the Isles. Mayfield played 2 years at Denver U before signing and then multiple years in the AHL before making the Isles. Pelech spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL and then multiple years in the AHL. Pulock is a little different because he already had 3 CHL seasons when drafted so he only had one more CHL season in his D+1 year, but then spent multiple years in the AHL before staying full time in the NHL. Even Reinbust spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL and then multiple AHL seasons. The Isles have always been patient so Dobson (and Wilde as he started his D+2 season in the AHL as a 19 year old) could actually be classified as being "rushed" and not really developed patiently. "Challenged" is probably the most accurate term so far in the Lou and Trotz era.

Dobson is the outlier here and that's a testament to his talent as well as a testament to Trotz' ability to develop him. Some may consider last year as a waste (especially the idiots on the main board and even "experts" such as Proman and Wheeler), but it sure looks like it worked in continuing Dobson's development to have him looking this good at the NHL level in his D+3 season and a week after his 21st birthday. Recall that most pundits considered Dobson needing more development time than the "more NHL ready" d-man prospect such as Bouchard since he already had 3 CHL seasons when drafted and an earlier 1999 birth year. Bouchard hasn't established himself in the NHL yet. Thanks again Edmonton for gifting us Dobson.

The main point here is that Trotz and Lou are infinitely better at their jobs than the previous regime, but they have done the opposite of being patient and fast tracked Dobson and Wilde. Wilde's unfortunate high ankle sprain last year along with COVID screwed his season. Even Bolduc is ahead of the typical schedule, he is going to be in the AHL in his D+2 season.

You are completely right that people are making smart decisions, but it has been the accelerated development path becoming the norm now.

 

[crasherino]

Only thing Dobson needs is time. Time to develop his confidence and time to put on some muscle/bulk. To date, you can see how he’s a little tentative and unsure. When he got some playoff time last year, he was a little hesitant to let his talent loose. BUT, you also saw the raw skill and ability flash and you know it’s about to come out and take over like it did in Juniors. Once he feels comfortable, knows what he can and can’t do at this level, the guy will be a staple of our top D line for years.

the Islanders developed him slowly and it will likely pay off this year and beyond. Doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps still - there will be. But the guy looks silky smooth and that’s what we have to look forward to - I’m pretty excited.

 

[Poliz24]

While I get what you're saying, Dobson is the most accelerated d-man prospect the Isles have had in quite some time. The Isles have traditionally been very patient and have let all of their highly drafted d-men (I will set the criteria at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounders) spend their D+1 and D+2 seasons in their Junior leagues (CHL or NCAA) before turning pro. After turning pro, getting AHL experience first was a prerequisite.

Hamonic spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL, spent the first half of his D+3 season in the AHL before staying full time with the Isles. Mayfield played 2 years at Denver U before signing and then multiple years in the AHL before making the Isles. Pelech spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL and then multiple years in the AHL. Pulock is a little different because he already had 3 CHL seasons when drafted so he only had one more CHL season in his D+1 year, but then spent multiple years in the AHL before staying full time in the NHL. Even Reinbust spent his D+1 and D+2 in the CHL and then multiple AHL seasons. The Isles have always been patient so Dobson (and Wilde as he started his D+2 season in the AHL as a 19 year old) could actually be classified as being "rushed" and not really developed patiently. "Challenged" is probably the most accurate term so far in the Lou and Trotz era.

Dobson is the outlier here and that's a testament to his talent as well as a testament to Trotz' ability to develop him. Some may consider last year as a waste (especially the idiots on the main board and even "experts" such as Proman and Wheeler), but it sure looks like it worked in continuing Dobson's development to have him looking this good at the NHL level in his D+3 season and a week after his 21st birthday. Recall that most pundits considered Dobson needing more development time than the "more NHL ready" d-man prospect such as Bouchard since he already had 3 CHL seasons when drafted and an earlier 1999 birth year. Bouchard hasn't established himself in the NHL yet. Thanks again Edmonton for gifting us Dobson.

The main point here is that Trotz and Lou are infinitely better at their jobs than the previous regime, but they have done the opposite of being patient and fast tracked Dobson and Wilde. Wilde's unfortunate high ankle sprain last year along with COVID screwed his season. Even Bolduc is ahead of the typical schedule, he is going to be in the AHL in his D+2 season.

You are completely right that people are making smart decisions, but it has been the accelerated development path becoming the norm now.

That's all true and shows how talented those D-men are. I probably should have been more specific in terms of development at the NHL level. I know its still early for Dobson, obviously and there is a long road ahead but I think his development has been sped up at the NHL level by the trotz & lou tandem. And everything else you mentioned was spot on.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Dobson is an outstanding talent but all of this nonsense about how Trotz and Lou have been genius in bringing him along is a lot of hype. Their hands were tied last year because he couldn't play in AHL and would have had to go back to juniors. They had no choice other than to keep him with the big club. This year he has to play because Toews is gone. Does anyone here really doubt that he would have been in the AHL last year if he could have been and might still be if things were normal? Let's stop making gods out of people who are just doing their job and responding to the circumstances. Nothing special has been done here as it relates to Dobson. He's good young player with a ton of upside, but the reason he is playing where he's playing now is because he has to.