What Are the Canadiens’ Top Three Blueliners Becoming?

Noah Dobson and the Value of Restraint

Noah Dobson’s numbers read quieter, and that’s part of his story with the team. Six goals and seventeen assists won’t turn heads in a league that celebrates pace and flash, but context matters. Dobson, the kid from Prince Edward Island, landed in Montreal after the Islanders moved him in the offseason, contract and all. Eight years, big money, and so far it’s paying off in ways the Canadiens badly needed.

Dobson’s game is rooted in structure first, offence second. His offence tends to arrive after the fundamentals have been handled. He doesn’t force plays or wander without a safety net. His power-play involvement is limited compared to Hutson’s, which tells you something about role rather than ability. Dobson isn’t being asked to create chaos in the same way Hutson does. He’s being asked to manage it.

At just over 22 minutes a night, he’s trusted with matchups and game flow. When he joins the rush, it’s purposeful. When he stays home, it’s deliberate. His points don’t pile up in bursts, but they accumulate steadily, and that kind of reliability has a way of becoming invaluable when games tighten.

Mike Matheson and the Weight of the Job

Then there’s Mike Matheson. The veteran. The Quebec kid. He’s here on a long-term deal, and his numbers don’t really mean much unless you stop and think about everything he’s being asked to handle. Nearly 25 minutes a night is a heavy load for any defenceman, let alone one expected to move the puck and absorb tough minutes at both ends.

His point totals (only four goals and 13 assists) aren’t the point. Matheson shines in the bits you barely notice. Plays that don’t break down. Shifts where the puck actually moves up ice. He’s quiet, which is just fine. He uses his energy well.

The plus-nine stands out because it suggests effectiveness without exposure. That’s hard to do when you’re on the ice as often as he is. Matheson isn’t driving offence the way Hutson does, and he’s not managing pace the way Dobson does — he’s stabilizing the entire operation.

Three Paths, One Bigger Picture

If this is the opening chapter of a longer research piece, the early conclusion is pretty straightforward: The Canadiens’ defencemen are not cut from a single template. They’re separating into roles.

Hutson brings creativity and vision from the back end. He can bend defensive structures before opponents even notice. Dobson represents composure and predictability, offence built on trust and timing. Matheson represents endurance, the ability to hold a team together over long stretches of difficult ice.

None of these profiles cancels out the others. In fact, they complement each other. And as the season deepens — and conversations shift toward playoff utility or international balance — raw point totals will matter less than how those points are generated.

Right now, the numbers are still fluid. But even in this early state, they’re telling us something important. The Canadiens have options, and that’s usually where good teams start.