As the New York Islanders continue into 2024, one thing is very clear: Noah Dobson has become an offensive juggernaut and, in doing so, has given the Islanders a jolt of much-needed life.

If you asked NHL fans who the best defensemen are in the NHL, some names that might come up are Cale Makar, Adam Fox, Miro Heiskanen, Erik Karlson and Victor Hedman. However, after this season, any list that does not include Dobson means the fan is not paying close enough attention to what the 24-year-old is doing on Long Island.

Dobson, in his fifth season with the Islanders, is on pace for his best season yet. Since making his NHL debut during the 2019-2020 season, Dobson has steadily become the team’s top defenseman.

Dobson took a massive step for the Islanders during the 2021-22 season, in which he recorded 13 goals, 38 assists and 51 points in 80 games, all career-highs. In the following season, Dobson’s strong play continued with similar numbers. Even with two fewer games compared to the previous season, Dobson put up 49 points, scoring 13 goals and tallying 36 assists.

But Dobson is a more than just an offensive player. His defensive game has grown tremendously and will likely only continue to improve.

Over Dobson’s five seasons with the Islanders, his value to the team has grown, as shown by his ice team. Dobson’s ice time has increased each season, with him turning into a player that now averages 25 minutes a night.

Dobson is second overall in the NHL in ice time per game (25:58). The only player who averages more ice time per game than Dobson is Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Doughty, 34, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Additionally, in 2016, Doughty won the Norris Trophy, which is given to the best defenseman in the NHL. In contrast to Doughty, Dobson is only 24 years old and does not have the same career experience. But Dobson is playing just as well as his elder, if not better.

As the Islanders have shown greater trust in Dobson, his confidence has grown tremendously. Dobson has increased the number of shots he puts on net each season.

During the 2022-2023 season, Dobson had 206 shots on goal. Putting this statistic in perspective, during the 2022-2023 season, Erik Karlson of the San Jose Sharks recorded 209 shots on goal. Karlson won his third career Norris Trophy that year.

This season, Dobson is a point-per-game player. In 49 games played, the 24-year-old has 52 points. Furthermore, Dobson has become a staple on the power-play this season. He has 20 power-play points in 49 games, which is already more than the 19 power-play points he recorded in 78 games last season. Dobson currently ranks seventh among NHL defensemen in power-play points and ranks seventh in the entire NHL in assists. Only two other defensemen in the NHL currently have more assists than Dobson.

Although Dobson is not the sole factor contributing to his team’s power-play success this season, he has been a key factor. Last year, the power-play ranked 25th in the NHL. Currently, the Islanders’ powerplay sits at 11th overall in the NHL. Dobson has been a key player in turning around a notorious bad power-play on Long Island.

As the Islanders are past the halfway mark of the 2023-2024 NHL season, the team is still in the hunt for a playoff spot. And Dobson is a big reason why.

Featured image courtesy of James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.