Ex-NHLer Matt Martin drops hot take on Noah Dobson's $76M sign-and-trade to Canadiens

Former NHL forward Matt Martin spoke about Noah Dobson’s trade to the Montreal Canadiens on "The Cam & Strick Podcast." Dobson was traded to Montreal for two first-round picks and forward Emil Heineman. After the trade, Dobson signed an eight-year, $76 million contract.

Speaking on Thursday's episode, Martin said Dobson is a great player and the New York Islanders wanted to keep him. He believes the situation was handled well by both teams.

"Honestly, I think it was like I walked into the room, kind of in the middle of it," Martin said (Timestamp: 1:28:46). "And I think things were obviously always extremely cordial. ... There's so many things that go on in hockey behind the scenes. Darche said a million times, 'Dobson's a great player. I'd love to keep him.' Things don't always work out that way.

"And I thought throughout the whole process, he just did an unbelievable job of handling it."

Martin also said he went to Dobson’s wedding on July 1. He believes both teams got good value in the deal.

"I think the Islanders benefited from it," Martin said. "Dobson got to go to a great market, a great team and an up-and-coming team.'

Dobson had 39 points in 71 games last season with the Islanders. He also played over 23 minutes per game. Dobson now joins a young and growing Canadiens team, which made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Martin said the Islanders were happy with the picks they got. He believes the team drafted good prospects with the 16th and 17th picks. Islanders picked Victor Eklund at 16 and Kashawn Aitcheson at 17.

Matt Martin's comment on ex-Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello

Matt Martin retired in June after 16 seasons in the NHL. He played 987 games for the New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin now works as a special assistant to new Islanders GM Mathieu Darche. He is helping the team during this rebuilding phase, after the departure of previous GM Lou Lamoriello.

"Lou, to me, is like the best," Martin said on Thursday's "The Cam & Strick Podcast." "Like, I love him because he's just straight and narrow... He lives what he preaches."

The Islanders missed the playoffs this year and got the opportunity to select Matthew Schaefer as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL draft. The team hopes to rebuild with young talent, in which their 16th and 17th pick are also expected to play a big role.