The Montreal Canadiens didn’t just land a top defenseman when they traded for Noah Dobson; they may have set the stage for one of their stars to hit the 100-point mark for the first time.
Former NHL executive and broadcaster Pierre McGuire believes the addition of Dobson could be a game-changer, pointing to his impact on the power play and all-around presence as key factors in boosting the team’s offensive output.
Canadiens’ Noah Dobson Trade Could Push Nick Suzuki to 100 Points
That player is captain Nick Suzuki, who McGuire believes has all the tools to break the 100-point barrier if he stays healthy. On “The Sick Podcast” with Tony Marinaro, McGuire explained that a healthy Suzuki, paired with an upgraded power play featuring Dobson, could be a nightmare for opposing teams.
Can we expect Nick Suzuki to surpass his personal best 89 points from last season?
Pierre McGuire: “I think Nick Suzuki is going to get to 100 points if he stays healthy”#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/IGmAhKa1h9
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 12, 2025
He said Dobson is “a dominant player in all three zones,” able to move the puck precisely, create lanes through the neutral zone, and run the man advantage with authority.
In McGuire’s view, doubting the 3-Time All-Star Suzuki’s potential next season “would be wrong.”
Montreal swung the deal with the New York Islanders on June 28, 2025, just before the NHL Draft. The cost was steep: two first-round picks and forward Emil Heineman. The reward? An immediate eight-year, $76 million commitment to Dobson, who now carries a $9.5 million annual cap hit.
General manager Kent Hughes called Dobson the cornerstone the team has been seeking: a prime-aged defenseman who can control the pace from the back end.
Hughes pointed to Dobson’s skating, long reach, and first-pass ability as traits that fit perfectly with the Canadiens’ push toward a faster, more possession-heavy style.
“He defends with his feet and with his reach and range, and I think if you look at how we play and how we try to deny pucks a lot and deny ice … his ability to retrieve pucks and kind of spring the offense for us was a big piece,” Hughes said.
Dobson, now 25, is coming off a 39-point campaign, one year removed from his career-best 70-point season. His consistency and ability to eat heavy minutes are expected to bring stability to a defense corps in transition since the early stages of Montreal’s rebuild.
Handling Montreal’s Spotlight
Pressure won’t be a new concept for Dobson. Former junior teammate Jeffrey Viel remembers a composed, confident player even back in their days with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
Speaking on the “Sans restriction podcast,” Viel predicted Montreal fans would embrace him quickly: “The pressure in Montreal, it’s going to be fine for him. When I played with him, he was only 17 years old, and he already had the maturity. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
The city’s hockey microscope can rattle even veteran players, but Dobson’s calm demeanor, combined with championship experience at the junior level, including two Memorial Cup wins, suggests he’ll adapt quickly.
Dobson has already embraced the challenge, calling it “an honor” to join what he considers the best hockey market in the league. He’s also no stranger to some of his new teammates, having played alongside Suzuki and Mike Matheson in international competition.
All eyes now turn to training camp. If Dobson and Suzuki find quick chemistry, the Canadiens could be looking at a leap forward in their rebuild timeline and perhaps the first 100-point season of Suzuki’s career.
