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Next contract: Noah Dobson wants more than $10 million a year

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 8:31 PM ET

For several hours now, Noah Dobson has been at the heart of NHL trade rumours. The Islanders defenseman doesn’t seem to be getting along with the team on the terms of a potential long-term deal, which means he’s likely available for a trade.

And the Habs, who are at the top of their destination list, have tabled a formal offer to acquire him.

That said, if the Canadiens go after him, we have to assume that it will come with a long-term contract in hand. And if negotiations are complicated on Long Island, it’s probably because the player has big salary demands.

And that’s just as well, because Andy Strickland, who is well connected throughout the NHL, reported on his X account that, according to what he hears, Dobson is looking for a pact worth more than $10 million a year.

That, too, is something to consider in a potential deal: if Dobson comes to town, he’s likely to be expensive.

Hear Noah Dobson is asking for north of $10 million per year on an extension. #isles

– Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 26, 2025

Remember that, at the moment, only Carey Price ($10.5 million) earns more than $10 million a year in Montreal. That said, we know that his case is rather special, given that he no longer plays.

Among active players, Patrik Laine ($8.7m) has the highest annual salary. If Dobson comes to town with such a contract, then he’ll be (by far) the highest-paid active player on the Habs.

It’s worth remembering that, at the moment, there’s a salary scale in Montreal, with no one earning more than captain Nick Suzuki among the players who have signed a contract with Kent Hughes. However, it’s important to remember that the GM has already specified that this salary scale applies to players who sign their entry-level post-contract.

Dobson will be signing his third NHL contract. These are no longer the same parameters.

In an NHL where the salary cap is going to explode over the next few years, this is the kind of annual salary you can expect from a top defenseman. To compare it with contracts signed in recent years would be a little dishonest.

But we agree that it strikes a chord… and that if Dobson ever comes to town, Lane Hutson’s agent will be salivating when the time comes to negotiate his client’s next contract.