Over the last few years, the Islanders have certainly done a good job building their defensive unit from within. It started with the emergence of Ryan Pulock as a force on both ends of the ice, and has continued with Adam Pelech now being considered one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League.
But Pulock and Pelech now have some company when it comes to the present and the future look of the Islanders blue line, because Noah Dobson is growing up fast right before our eyes – and his pairing with future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara is a big reason why.
“(Chara’s) definitely someone that as a young defenseman you can learn lots from,” said Dobson, who is currently third on the Islanders in scoring with 14 points. He’s played in the league for a long time. He’s done everything.”
Head Coach Barry Trotz paired Dobson with Chara at the beginning of the season, but it didn’t work out that well and they were broken up. However, they eventually reunited, things began to click, and Dobson is now a rising star on the Islanders and is opening up some eyes around the NHL. He’s been on the ice for the last seven Islanders goals, including his overtime game-winning tally on New Year’s Day in a 3-2 victory over Edmonton at UBS Arena.
So far this season, Dobson has five goals and nine assists in 26 games, but more than half of those points – four goals and four assists – have come over the last seven games.
“I think he’s playing with a lot more confidence,” said Chara. “That’s huge for anyone who plays this game, or any athletes. Confidence has a lot to do with your success.”
Dobson’s success at the junior hockey level made him a first-round pick of the Islanders (No. 12 overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. One season later, he made the Islanders out of training camp and had one goal and six assists in 34 games.
Listen to New York sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Islanders team gear
After COVID-19 forced the NHL season to be put on hold, play resumed for the playoffs in the bubble, and Dobson was an extra for the first 21 post-season games – until an injury to Adam Pelech meant that Dobson would suit up for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay.
Last season, after Devon Toews was traded to Colorado, Dobson became a regular and had three goals and 11 assists in 46 games.
But the start to this season didn’t go as planned, to the point where Dobson was a healthy scratch for a game in November against the Lightning. However, things started to click, and now he’s playing with something that maybe he didn’t have much of earlier in the season.
“Just playing with a lot of confidence,” said Dobson. “With guys out of the lineup for COVID or injuries, you gotta step up and try and help the team win. I think I’ve just used the last month or so as an opportunity to play more minutes and help the team win each night and just continue to build off that.”
“You can see in his game,” said Chara. “He’s making some plays and being there for us in crucial times. His hockey sense, his skating ability…he’s playing really well right now.”
Related
The fact that Dobson and Chara have meshed well during their second stint together has really played a huge role in Dobson’s development. Even though his production has diminished from earlier in his career, the 44-year-old Chara has been a valuable addition to the Islanders because of his leadership, and being a mentor to Dobson.
It wasn’t working for the duo on the ice earlier in the season, but they’ve turned out to be quite the pair in recent weeks.
“They’ve come together,” said Trotz. “They’re more complete. The mentorship of Chara at the start with Noah was probably very valuable for where Noah is right now. Them being together at the start didn’t work out the way we anticipated right off the bat, but both guys are in a different place and they’re back together and they’ve been very solid.”
“We know where each other is at on the ice and we’ve been talking lots,” said Dobson. “He’s a great guy for me. He’s always talking to me. He’s great. He’s always there to support and talk to me and it’s been huge for me.”
When you talk about the Islanders’ defenseman, Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech are the “big two.” But now you can certainly make the argument that with Dobson, it’s a “big three” when it comes to the core of the Isles’ blue line.
And “Big Z” is a big reason for that.
Follow Peter Schwartz on Twitter: @SchwartzSports
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch