Shocking Report: Islanders Making Noah Dobson Available "For Right Price"

In a surprising development, there's a report by Jim Biringer of rg.org that the New York Islanders are making young defenseman Noah Dobson available "for the right price."

Biringer's source confirms that the pending restricted free agent is on the market as the Isles look for an upgrade at forward.

He is available for trade, and that is a piece the team is willing to part with in order to get that scoring presence they have wanted for three seasons.

With the Islanders' recent strong play, winners of eight of their last nine games, GM Lou Lamorioello is not giving up on gaining a playoff berth for his team. Nevertheless, it would be surprising to see him move on from Dobson.

There were also reports that Dobson was a trade chip being used as the Islanders tried to pry Elias Pettersson loose from the Vancouver Canucks.

The 25-year-old Dobson has been absent during the Isles' recent surge, but he would seem to be a big part of the team's blueline, not only for the present, but for the future. He's a first-round pick (12th overall, 2018 Draft), and has been more than a solid member of the team's backline, posting a career-high 70 points last season, with a plus/minus rating of +12.

There's no arguing that his production has been down this year, with just 24 points through 46 games with a minus-8 rating. But after a top-10 finish in Norris Trophy balloting last year, and at his young age, he's a valuable d-man, whether for the Isles or as a great trade piece to potentially bring in an impact offensive player.

Veteran Tony DeAngelo has stepped in and performed quite well in Dobson's absence (plus-6 rating in six games with four points), but Tony D hasn't always been reliable, to say the least.

What Lou will do in the coming weeks is anybody's guess, but we'll be keeping a close eye on the Islanders.