$2.125B franchise inquired for NY Islanders' RFA Noah Dobson: Reports

The Noah Dobson trade talks appear to be heating up.

Days after NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Islanders were testing the trade market to see what they could get for their star defenseman, more details are starting to emerge.

According to a team reporter, the Detroit Red Wings, worth $2.125 billion per Forbes, are one of the first to have inquired about Dobson. Veteran forward J.T. Compher, young forward Jonatan Berggren, and draft picks are the rumored offer Steve Yzerman is willing to part with.

Whether or not that will be enough to pry Noah Dobson out of Long Island remains to be seen. Stefen Rosner wrote an article for The Hockey News with all of the latest, which he shared on X (formerly Twitter).

"The Detroit Red Wings have inquired about New York Islanders pending restricted free agent defenseman Noah Dobson. Reporter Bob Duff cites that Elliotte Friedman stated that Detroit's offer includes forwards J.T. Compher and Jonatan Berggren, with draft picks also likely being part of the discussion," Rosner wrote.

Dobson is a pending RFA, having just played out the final season of his three-year, $12,000,000 contract extension signed with the Islanders in 2022.

Noah Dobson is seeking a massive new contract

Many were surprised to hear that Noah Dobson could potentially be had via trade this offseason.

The 25-year-old was a high-draft pick, emerging into a top defenseman for the New York Islanders. However, after winning the draft lottery to likely land Matthew Schaefer, Dobson could become expendable, especially with his contract demands.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli shared what Dobson is looking for on an extension in an article for Daily Faceoff shared on X.

"In the meantime, does Darche buck up to pay 70-point defenseman Dobson? He’s a 23-minute-per-night blueliner with obvious offensive upside who fits their age scheme, but he lacks some consistency and has immense trade value. We mentioned his initial ask was $11 million per season, which will obviously come in quite lower on the next new deal … But will it be on the Island?" Seravalli wrote.

Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, and Rasmus Dahlin are the only defensemen who make $11 million in average annual salary or more in the NHL right now.

While nothing is imminent, it certainly seems as if the wheels are in motion for a potential Noah Dobson blockbuster trade in the coming weeks.