If you were to have a conversation going into 2023-24 about the best offensive defensemen of the new generation then you'd likely be discussing Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin, Adam Fox and Cale Makar. Dobson might get a brief mention, but as one of those other guys who are great, but not in the same tier as those first four. If you were to have that same talk today, things might be different. Dobson earned his place among those names by scoring 10 goals and 70 points in 79 contests last year. His production was a near constant for the Islanders with his only noteworthy slowdown coming towards the end of the campaign. It helps that New York leaned on him heavily with an average of 24:31 of ice time, including 2:59 with the man advantage. Dobson still needs to prove that he can replicate that level of success, but even if he does decline, it should only be to the 50-60 point range.
It's hard to view a defenseman scoring 13 goals and 49 points in 78 contests and want more, but in the case of Dobson, the best might be yet to come. After all, he's still just 23 years old and has a modest four NHL seasons under his belt. One path to increased production might come courtesy of the man advantage. He recorded 19 power-play points in 2022-23, which is impressive, but there's more potential there with him quarterbacking the Islanders' top power-play unit, especially when you consider that they ranked 30th last season with a 15.8 power-play conversion rate. At the least, Dobson is a safe bet to exceed the 40-point mark, which puts him in rare company among defensemen, but there is also the chance that he still has another level in him.
No Islanders skater was more valuable than Dobson a season ago, and it wasn't even close. The No. 12 overall selection in the 2018 draft broke out to the tune of 13 goals and 51 points in 80 games. He earned 22 of those points with the man advantage, while adding 190 shots on goal, 78 hits and 154 blocks for good measure. The Islanders aren't a team you typically want to invest in from a fantasy perspective, but Dobson is a clear exception. Not set to turn 23 years of age until next January, Dobson is a future star and worthy of an early selection in all fantasy formats this season.
Dobson was largely sheltered by the Islanders during his rookie year in 2019-20, but the reigns came off last season, as he played in 46 of New York's 56 regular-season games, with the majority of those being missed due to a stint on the NHL COVID-19 protocols list. Dobson's overall offensive production was minimal (three goals, 14 points), but five of those points came with the man advantage, the result of 1:51 worth of power-play time per game. Dobson generally played on the third pair alongside veteran Andy Greene, a role he is expected to reprise next season with the Islanders expected to return most of their blue-line corps. Dobson makes for a far more interesting keeper/dynasty stash than a redraft option.
Dobson could become a permanent NHL player in 2020-21 after he had seven points in 34 games as a rookie last year. Dobson made the jump straight from junior, but he often found himself in the press box as a healthy scratch last season. With the logjam cleared on the Islanders' blue line, Dobson will likely get some valuable experience in a third-pairing role this year. He's worth hanging onto or adding in dynasty formats, but with only second unit power-play usage and marginal even-strength time, the 20-year-old defenseman is probably best left undrafted in single-year leagues. He'll likely approach the 15-point mark with unspectacular non-scoring numbers.
The Islanders have a crowded blue line, but the organization is very excited about this 19-year-old. While he has yet to play in the AHL, Dobson proved to be a complete player in the QMJHL last season, scoring 15 goals and 52 points in 56 games. He also had 60 PIM and a plus-10 rating. In the QMJHL playoffs, Dobson posted eight goals and 29 points with a plus-28 rating and 20 PIM in 20 games. He probably won't start the 2019-20 campaign in the NHL, but the 2018 first-round pick will be with the Islanders sooner rather than later. Dobson should be stashed in all dynasty formats.
The second of the Islanders' back-to-back selections in the first round of the 2018 draft, Dobson comes off an All-Star campaign in the QMJHL having posted career-high marks in goals (17), assists (52), power-play goals (11) and shots on goal (276). A bit more defensive-minded than some of the other rearguards selected early in the draft, his eventual fantasy ceiling may be slightly lower, but he could still be a useful piece in deep dynasty leagues and eventually redraft formats.
