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Noah Dobson file: the Canadiens’ first two picks at stake

What will it cost the Canadiens to acquire Noah Dobson?

The more time goes by, the more I get the feeling that the Canadiens will be able to keep David Reinbacher in the organization if they get their hands on the top defenseman.

The Austrian is beloved around town.

You should also know that the Islanders would like to draft James Hagens – but not with the first pick, of course. Is moving up in the draft possible?

And to do so, as we’ve been talking about recently, perhaps it would take two first-round picks on our hands. Right now, it’s clear that the Habs’ two picks are in the discussions for Dobson. #ThanksSeanMonahan

If the Islanders’ goal is to move up in the draft (Utah is willing to move at the right price), perhaps the Canadiens’ picks are more attractive than the Columbus club’s.

Adding other elements to convince the Mammoth, of course…

Could it be picks #16 and #17 plus one other item that would get the Habs the 6’4 right-handed defenseman from the Maritimes? Just one of the two picks plus something else? Many scenarios are on the table right now.

Our colleague Maxime Truman just mentioned Owen Beck in a tweet. He’s a name to keep an eye on.

Mathieu Darche must think things are moving fast right now. He’s just hours away from potentially making personnel moves that can really transform the Islanders.

Can he pull it off? We’ll see.

overtime

– Nikolaj Ehlers is one to watch.

– They’re not in the rush.

– Luis Robert Jr. in the National East? [MLB Passion]

– José Théodore speaking ill of Carey Price? What a surprise.

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Dossier Noah Dobson: “the Canadiens are more confident than the Blue Jackets”

The issue of the moment in Montreal is Noah Dobson.

Whether the Canadiens will come out on top is anyone’s guess. Remember, it’s just between the Blue Jackets and the Canadiens, at the time of writing.

Was it Kent Hughes or Went Wughes who showed up at the Bell Centre this morning?

Obviously, at this point, we know it could go either way. So we’ll wait and see if the Habs transform their organization today.

And the question is, does the Habs like their chances? And according to Cam Robinson, currently in Los Angeles, the answer is: yes, the Habs are more confident than the Blue Jackets.

For what it’s worth, it doesn’t mean that Kent Hughes knows the Ohio club’s offer… and it does mean what it means, since we’ve heard through the grapevine that the Habs’ offer isn’t the most substantial at the moment.

But that can change quickly.

Don’t forget that Dobson also has a say. If he decides he no longer wants to sign for Columbus or Montreal, the Islanders could be out of the running.

And that’s even if both teams are surely willing to sign him for less than $10 million a year, which would be the asking price right now.

extension

It’s worth noting that Dobson isn’t exactly Patrick Roy’s style of player. The relationship between the two men is one reason why the defenseman would like to make a fresh start.

Would it be better with Martin St-Louis?

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Draft: Rob Ramage and Chantal Machabée in Los Angeles, all the decision-makers at the Bell Centre

Only a few hours remain before we find out which players will be selected in the first round by an NHL team.

As you know, this year, only eligible players, their agent(s) and their families will be in Los Angeles to attend the event in person. Only a few representatives from each organization will be on hand at the Peacock Theater.

The Canadiens have decided to send Rob Ramage, Director of Player Development, to represent the organization. He will be accompanied by Chantal Machabée and his right-hand man, Timothy Gagnon, to help coordinate media coverage.

All other members of the organization will be based in Montreal, in the Canadiens’ dressing room at the Bell Centre. And let’s just say that the club’s temporary facilities are splendid.

The Canadiens know how to do things big.

The vests of Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Nick Suzuki and David Reinbacher – all players drafted by the organization except the captain – can be seen in background. Does this mean Rhino will NOT be traded for Noah Dobson in the next few hours?

Not necessarily! It doesn’t take long to unhook and replace a vest on a hanger..

It’s worth noting that, once drafted, each youngster will meet members of his new virtual management team this evening.

Let’s not forget that this idea of decentralized drafting to save costs doesn’t appeal to many people, and that according to what we’re hearing, the draft will return to its usual face-to-face format as of next year.

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Montreal one of two finalists for Noah Dobson, according to The Athletic

The Noah Dobson situation is in turmoil.

Recently, we learned that the defenseman wanted to stay in the East, which logically took the St. Louis Blues out of the running. The names of Montreal (the player’s preference) and Columbus were often mentioned.

Now, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports that the Canadiens and Blue Jackets are indeed the finalists.

Just yesterday, we were wondering whether the Islanders were going to keep him or not. But the way the case is shaping up, it seems pretty clear that his future isn’t on Long Island.

Mathieu Darche appears to be on the move. Johnston is talking about a transaction that should happen soon.

Obviously, if the defenseman is traded, he’ll have to sign a contract extension to avoid his new team losing him for nothing a year from now. He’ll earn at least $9.5 million a year.

And we’ll also see what assets the Islanders get in such a deal.

Details to come…

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Noah Dobson’s wish: to stay in the East

The Noah Dobson file is still in full swing.

We know that the Canadiens, who have been the talk of the town since yesterday, are interested in signing him. And the Maritime native is interested in playing in Quebec.

The Blues and Blue Jackets are also in the mix.

We don’t know how many more teams are involved. But as of yesterday, these are the ones that are attracting the most attention in the Islanders’ player file.

Pierre LeBrun doesn’t rule out a trade tonight – including a first-round pick in 2025.

And Elliotte Friedman, for his part, has heard that the player would prefer to stay in the East. He’s an Eastern guy who played in the QMJHL and played in New York in his life.

So it makes sense.

The Blues are in the West. Does this mean that Dobson, who is accustomed to little travel while playing in the Big Apple, would prefer another market? Possibly.

Even if he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, he’ll be a restricted free agent in a few days and an unrestricted free agent in a year – if he doesn’t sign by then.

He therefore has the power to refuse to sign somewhere long-term, and thus to dampen a team’s ardor. We don’t know if he wants to play in Columbus… but who wants to play there?

What we do know is that he wants to play in Montreal. So right now, things are looking good for the Habs.

overtime

– Hmmm…

– Of note.

– It’s beautiful, but not as beautiful as the sphere in 2024.

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The Athletic’s mock draft: two players shorter than six feet for the Habs in the first round

In just a few hours, it’s the first round of the draft.

Of course, what fans the world over are hoping for, in addition to good picks for their team, is some action on the floor. It’s going to take some transactions to spice up the evening.

Already, the format will be far less dynamic away from the Vegas bubble…

As for the scouts, they’ll be hoping their bosses can make the right decisions and listen to their recommendations to draft the right young prospects tonight and tomorrow.

But there are many factors involved in making a decision.

In Montreal, for example, we know that the new administration likes to draft a player at least six feet tall with his first call-up. Juraj Slafkovsky and David Reinbacher are tall, and Ivan Demidov is not short. But him, it doesn’t matter how tall he is…

That’s why I jumped in when I saw that Corey Pronman(The Athletic) placed, in his most recent mock draft, two forwards under 6′ (5’11, to be precise) at #16 and #17 for Kent Hughes and his team.

Given that this has been a draft trend since 2022 (and even earlier, but Marc Bergevin’s trends don’t change anything for tonight) and that Jeff Gorton recognized the need to get fatter, I’m surprised.

Of course, center Braeden Cootes and winger Victor Eklund aren’t feet of celery and they can still grow. But let’s just say I’m quite surprised.

Especially since Pronman acknowledges that drafting a small winger at #17 is not optimal.

I’m in no way trying to discredit Corey Pronman’s work, which is excellent and well connected… but keep in mind that he may be on the wrong track with what he’s hearing. Why? Because in the draft, everyone lies.

overtime

– Ouch.

– Obviously.

– The announcement will be the collective agreement.

– Like it or not?

– Rumor of the moment.

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Noah Dobson had more turnovers than Mike Matheson in 2024-2025

It’s draft day in the NHL. It’s finally here!

Of course, we’ll be watching to see what the Canadiens do with their two first-round picks, since it’s quite possible that the Montreal club won’t draft in the first round twice.

But above all, we’ll be watching to see if David Reinbacher is still a Canadiens prospect tonight.

Because yes, it’s possible that Noah Dobson could become the Canadiens’ next #1 defenseman in the next few hours. His name has been circulating in Montreal in droves sinceword got out that he wants to play here (which is something to consider) and the Habs tabled an offer for his services.

Will it happen? Who knows? After all, the Habs aren’t the only ones who want him… and the Islanders could keep him.

If you ask me, picking up a player of his calibre would be something. And that’s even if he has his flaws – like every hockey player on the planet.

Jean-Nicolas Blanchet, who doesn’t particularly like the idea of him coming to town, reminds us that last year, he had more turnovers than Mike Matheson, who was roundly criticized for this aspect of his game.

The fact that he’s not the toughest of defensemen and the fact that he creates turnovers are two elements that make the Quebecor columnist say that Dobson can’t be the Habs’ #1 defenseman.

These are indeed red flags. Especially in Montreal… and especially if he has to sign a huge contract.

I’m a lot less worried about the Islanders being willing to trade him because, with a year to go before full autonomy, the defenseman has the power to force his departure if he doesn’t want to stay in New York long-term.

And I’m also thinking that if Kent Hughes made an offer to Mathieu Darche (who was, incidentally, a finalist for the Canadiens’ GM job in 2022) for the services of his defenseman, it’s because he knows what it will cost in money (over $10 million a year) to sign Dobson. Don’t let that scare him off.

If the Canadiens can afford to sign a big, top-notch right-handed defenseman who can play offensively and is in the same age group as the captain, I figure it would fill a glaring need in the organization, which wants to turn the corner on its rebuild.

Noah Dobson… Lane Hutson… Kaiden Guhle… that’s three great pieces to win in the long term. No?

Of course, it’s confronting to see David Reinbacher’s name in the rumours since it’s never happened before. But the club hasn’t been intensely linked to a top young veteran like this in recent years.

Clearly, the Habs are working hard – either for Dobson, or for a forward.

I’m not saying you absolutely have to trade Reinbacher, who has recovered nicely from his big injury suffered at camp 2024, because he can also become quite a player. But he doesn’t have Dobson’s offensive upside…

In a market where sellers aren’t plentiful, we’ll see what the Habs decide to do.

overtime

– Clubs to watch for Aaron Ekblad.

– The 15th overall pick on the line?

– Bonjour, messieurs.

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Noah Dobson: don’t rule out a three-team deal if he joins the Habs

The NHL amateur draft is less than 24 hours away. The league’s 32 teams are in their final preparations for what could be a very, very big day tomorrow.

People on the ground, at least, are under the impression that things could get pretty shaky tomorrow.

On the other hand, we’ve already seen some action today with the rumours surrounding Noah Dobson. The Islanders are reportedly shopping for the services of their defenseman, and we know that the Habs(for whom he’d like to play) have tabled an offer for his services.

That said, this evening, David Pagnotta talked a little about the Islanders in a video clip posted on X, and what’s interesting is that he wouldn’t be surprised if, in the event of the Islanders trading Dobson, they were to use the assets acquired in that trade to conclude another one.

The goal? Try to move up in the top-5 of the draft to select James Hagens, a Long Island native and the envy of Islanders fans, who are already dreaming of the “Schagens” duo tomorrow night.

The Canadiens, who have only the 16th and 17th picks, are not in a position to offer the Islanders a pick that would allow them to obtain Hagens. On the other hand, if this becomes a three-team deal, there’s plenty to talk about at the Mammoth, for example, which has publicly stated that the 4th pick in the draft is available.

And if it becomes a three-team deal, could the Habs try to pick up Barrett Hayton in the process? That’s pure speculation, of course, and it would be expensive… but it would solve two problems in town.

Otherwise, we know that in 2023, Barry Trotz really wanted to draft David Reinbacher, to the point where he offered Yaroslav Askarov and picks to the Habs in an attempt to get the 5th overall pick. This year, it’s the Predators who have the fifth pick… and that, too, could be used to select Hagens, who isn’t likely to be selected in the top-5.

We know that in Nashville, guys like Ryan O’Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault have been linked to the Habs in recent months. Maybe if Reinbacher is on the table, there’s a way to negotiate here.

In a world where the Canadiens are able to interest one of these teams, it’s far from impossible that Mathieu Darche would be more interested in sending Dobson to Montreal. Because right now, you really have to wonder whether James Hagens is the key to this deal.

I can’t wait for tomorrow night. How about you?

Overtime

– Nikolaj Ehlers will test the market next Tuesday.

– Brad Treliving confirms that he expects Mitch Marner to test the market.

– Could he be on his way to Ivan Demidov?

– Connor McDavid: an eight-year contract is not expected.

– Nicolas Roy could be sacrificed to Vegas.

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If the Habs offer (more than) $10M per year to Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson will be expensive

The topic of the day for the Habs today was Noah Dobson. The Islanders are currently evaluating their options with the defenseman, who doesn’t appear to be on track to sign a long-term contract on Long Island, and the Habs are among the teams pushing hard for his services.

Chris Johnston, in the last hour, confirmed that he’s hearing the same thing as everyone else: the Islanders are talking to the Habs and Blues for the services of their defenseman, who would like to come to Montreal.

What we learned earlier this evening is that Dobson is looking for more than $10 million per year on his next contract. In a context where the salary cap will be going up a lot in the next few years, this makes sense… but it’s still an amount that strikes the imagination.

So, if Kent Hughes wants to get his hands on Dobson, he’ll have to be prepared to pay dearly for both the transaction and the defenseman’s contract… but there’s another place where it could all cost him: Lane Hutson’s contract.

Because right now, in Montreal, Hutson is the big name on the blue line. And in a world where Dobson is coming to town, you really have to wonder if Hutson would be willing to sign for less money than him.

Because in reality, Hutson has some arguments in his favor, coming off a 66-point season in his first year in the NHL. Dobson, on the other hand, has only achieved this once in his career: a 70-point campaign in his fifth year on the Bettman circuit.

And in the NHL, you get paid primarily for your offensive contributions.

That said, it’s important to remember that Dobson is much closer to full autonomy than Hutson is. There’s a difference between buying arbitration years (which are worth less) and full autonomy years (which are worth much more).

And on their next respective contracts, Dobson would be bought many more years of full autonomy.

It’s also possible to argue that Dobson is a superior defenseman to Hutson… but the latter, who would logically sign his contract after Dobson, would have the advantage of using the newcomer’s pact as a comparison in his negotiations and, if he so wished, try to confirm his status as a leader on the Montreal brigade.

Right now, Lane Hutson’s agent must be following all this very closely… because a transaction that would bring Dobson to Montreal would have a huge impact on his client’s future. And that’s part of this new phase in the Habs’ rebuilding, because talent comes at a high price.

Overtime

– That’s big money.

– Matthew Knies: A five-year pact is expected.

– Brandon Saad: around $2M for one year in Vegas.

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Noah Dobson: the Islanders offered him to the Sabres for JJ Peterka

Right now in Montreal, all eyes are on Long Island. The Habs have made a formal offer to acquire defenseman Noah Dobson in a trade… and we know he wants to join the Habs.

The question is also whether Kent Hughes is prepared to pay him more than $10 million a year… but that won’t matter if the Islanders decide to send him elsewhere.

We know that the Islanders are currently looking to trade Dobson. Contract negotiations don’t seem to be progressing between the player and his team, so Mathieu Darche is testing the market to see what’s available.

Interestingly, earlier today, Frank Seravalli discussed the JJ Peterka trade during today’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live… and what we learn is that, at one point, the Islanders were interested in Peterka.

And among the names the Islanders threw into the discussions was that of… Noah Dobson.

We also learn that according to Seravalli, Jordan Kyrou(who has also been a popular name in Montreal today) has been put on the table for Peterka. There was also an offer including two first-round picks and two players currently on an active NHL roster, but it was turned down.

I don’t necessarily have the impression that it was the Habs who made that offer (even though they have two first-round picks), but hey.

And when you add in the Wild’s offer, in which Marco Rossi was an important piece, you realize that the Sabres passed on some big talent by trading Peterka. Michael Kesselring isn’t a bad player, but it doesn’t sell dreams either.

Getting back to Dobson, you have to wonder how far those talks went. It’s conceivable that Dobson, who is a year away from full autonomy, may not have been particularly interested in signing long-term with the Sabres, which could certainly have diminished interest in Buffalo.

But what is clear is that it wasn’t just today that Dobson began to be shopped around on Long Island. Let’s see if he ultimately ends up in Montreal.

Overtime

– I’d be surprised if both players were part of the negotiations. Especially if David Reinbacher is already there…

– Less than 24 hours until the NHL draft begins.

– Ah.

– Justin Sourdif traded to Capitals.

– Evander Kane has arrived in Vancouver.