Montreal one of two finalists for Noah Dobson, according to The Athletic

The Noah Dobson situation is in turmoil.

Recently, we learned that the defenseman wanted to stay in the East, which logically took the St. Louis Blues out of the running. The names of Montreal (the player’s preference) and Columbus were often mentioned.

Now, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports that the Canadiens and Blue Jackets are indeed the finalists.

New, for @TheAthletic: Sources say the Noah Dobson sweepstakes is down to two teams … Montreal and Columbus … with a deal expected to come together soon https://t.co/zPjwPPv4GRhttps://t.co/zPjwPPv4GR

– Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 27, 2025

Just yesterday, we were wondering whether the Islanders were going to keep him or not. But the way the case is shaping up, it seems pretty clear that his future isn’t on Long Island.

Mathieu Darche appears to be on the move. Johnston is talking about a transaction that should happen soon.

Obviously, if the defenseman is traded, he’ll have to sign a contract extension to avoid his new team losing him for nothing a year from now. He’ll earn at least $9.5 million a year.

And we’ll also see what assets the Islanders get in such a deal.

Details to come…