The San Jose Sharks are in the market to upgrade their blue line this offseason.
On his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that the New York Islanders are testing the trade market on defenseman Noah Dobson.
First-year general manager Mathieu Darche will have to decide on his No. 1 defenseman. Dobson is 25 years old, shoots right-handed, and is one year away from being able to become an unrestricted free agent.
Friedman is as connected as they come in the NHL insider business.
“At this point in time, I don’t really know if they do it,” Friemdan said. “They know if he is what he can be, he’s an eight-figure guy. Since you’re a year away from free agency, you’ve got a few things you can do.”
Friedman then goes on to explain the possible outcomes.
“You can sign him now and trade him later if it doesn’t work. You can try to go for a one-year deal and walk him right to free agency. But that’s risky. You can really upset the player,” Friemdan explained. “Or you can deal him now. I think the Islanders are investigating all possibilities.”
When it comes to the San Jose Sharks, a potential trade with the Islanders involving Dobson hasn’t been the main topic of conversation. The New York Islanders own the 2025 NHL Draft No. 1 pick and are projected to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
Given the Sharks’ need for defense in their prospect pool, speculation suggested that the Sharks might consider moving up to No. 1. Darche has stated twice that he intends to keep the No. 1 pick, however.
Sharks are better equipped to trade for Dobson than No. 1 pick
The San Jose Sharks have a packed prospect pool and four picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 and 2026 NHL Drafts. The Islanders are seeking to revamp their roster and become younger.
With that in mind, trading the 25-year-old Dobson doesn’t make a ton of sense. But if he’s not part of Darche’s future, he’s their most valuable trade asset.
Although the blueliner had a down year in 24-25, he’s shown that he can be a top-performing two-way defenseman with significant offensive upside. In 23-24, Dobson set career highs in points (70), ice time (24:31), and plus-minus (+12).
The NHL Salary Cap is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, meaning contracts signed for high value now will retain some of their value as time passes.
The other part of Dobson’s next contract is when he will sign. With the cap going up significantly, RFAs might be hesitant to sign until they see what the market is like for UFAs.
One thing the San Jose Sharks especially need is a right-handed defenseman. Shakir Mukhamadullin, Luca Cagnoni, Sam Dickinson, Henry Thrun, and Mario Ferraro are all left-handed.
If Noah Dobson is on the trade market, the San Jose Sharks have the type of assets the Islanders will seek in return. Then, if the Sharks acquire him, the cap space won’t be an issue for a long-term contract that contains an eight-figure AAV.
Daily Face-Off’s Frank Seravalli reported that Dobson’s initial contract ask was for $11 million. Seravalli said he expects that number to come down, but it’s worth noting that he’s thinking of eight figures.
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