Film Room: What Noah Dobson brings to the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal may have just won the 2025 NHL draft without making a single pick. That’s how valuable this trade could end up being for the organization in the long run. 

At 16th and 17th overall, the Canadiens could have added a potential top-six forward, like Carter Bear, Victor Eklund, or Lynden Lakovic. They could have grabbed Logan Hensler, a potential top-four defenceman, but none of those prospects match Noah Dobson’s current upside. They’re all 18-year-olds with holes in their game, who will need years before they integrate roles in a lineup. 

Dobson is a top-pair-quality defenceman. Right now. He’s established and in the prime of his career. You know what you will get from him, not years down the line, but the first time he steps on the ice in a Montreal jersey. 

It’s a bit puzzling why th