Noah Dobson: the Stars were also in on it

Dose
Crédit:

Right-handed defensemen are a rare commodity in the National Hockey League, so when one becomes available, it’s normal to see several teams interested.

There’s even more interest in a top-notch right-handed defenseman, as was the case with Noah Dobson before he was traded to the Canadiens.

It’s not every day that a 25-year-old right-handed defenseman who can play on a first pair is available on the market.

So it’s easy to see why so many teams seemed interested in Dobson, and have been for quite some time.

Indeed, we recently learned from Jeff Marek, on the latest episode of his podcast “The Sheet”, where he talks about the Islanders, that the Dallas Stars were very interested in Dobson, and that this interest dates back as far as last season.

Dallas was actively looking to add a top-notch right-handed defenseman to its line-up so that he could play on the first pairing with Miro Heiskanen, and Dobson was an option the Stars had been monitoring for some time.

One wonders if Jason Robertson, whose name has been circulating somewhat in trade rumors, was part of the potential discussions between the Stars and Islanders regarding Dobson.

In the end, the Stars were unable to get their hands on Dobson, while the Montreal Canadiens won the derby.

Seriously, when you look at this, and see that the Habs managed to beat out a whole host of teams to get a top player like Dobson, it’s really encouraging.

Let’s just say it’s a change from the years when the Habs always finished a close second in the race for a player on the trade market or for a top free agent.

The new management of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton has brought a nice wind of change, and the acquisition of a top player like Dobson via a large transaction is very good proof of this.

The Habs can compete very well with other NHL teams in various derbies, and even manage to win now, beating out better offers like the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dobson wanted to come to Montreal, and you have to wonder if that’s what knocked the Stars out of the running too.

Overtime

– A fine achievement.

– That’s a good one.

– Bravo !

– Another win for the Blue Jays.

– Ouch, not strong.