Heading into this season, Dobson was a shoo-in for an eight-year deal at a minimum of $8 million annually. The salary cap going up exponentially doesn't help the Islanders' case in saving money on Dobson's next deal despite his play.
The Islanders traded for Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich amid Injuries from Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, and Mike Rielly.
Noah Dobson had just starting heating up for the Islanders, but the defenseman is out indefinitely after suffering a lower-body injury.
Dobson is week-to-week and won't be eligible to play before the 4 Nations Face-Off after moving to the LTIR list. He has registered six goals, 24 points, 143 shots on net, 81 blocked shots and 42 hits in 46 appearances this season.
Dobson suffered an injury to his right leg when it bent awkwardly after a check by Columbus’ Cole Sillinger 1:16 into the third period of Monday night’s 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena. He left the ice and did not return.
In his first game for the Islanders on Tuesday night, Scott Perunovich showed how he can help coach Patrick Roy’s crew.
He has been the lone player in the Islanders’ top four who hasn’t dealt with injuries this season, but his status is a major concern after Monday night.
The 5-10, 175-pound Perunovich logged 18:52 and was a plus-2 with two shots, earning enough of Roy’s trust to play key shifts in the third period. Tony DeAngelo, signed out of the KHL on Friday, played 22:11 with two blocked shots as he also earned his first point as an Islander with an assist in his second game.
Dobson (lower body) was designated for injured reserve Friday, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. Dobson was riding a three-game point streak prior to getting hurt but will now have to wait at least a week before rejoining the lineup.
Tony DeAngelo may have been signed to fill the Noah Dobson void, but his game is more similar to the injured Mike Reilly.
With the Islanders’ playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Romanov and Scott Mayfield — who will spell Dobson on the top pair — will be shouldering a huge burden starting with Friday’s match at UBS Arena against the Flyers.
The Islanders breathed life back into their season with a season’s best five-game winning streak to conclude their seven-game homestand. In an Eastern Conference filled with few, if any, dominant teams, they have every right to believe they can make a playoff push similar to last season when an 8-0-1 finish secured a berth.