The Canadiens acquired the 25-year-old defenceman from the New York Islanders on June 27 for forward Emil Heineman and two first-round draft picks – Nos. 16 and 17. The Canadiens signed Dobson, a restricted free agent, to an eight-year contract with an annual average value of $9.5 million.

Montreal is on the rise, with their first stop in the playoffs since 2021. And Dobson will anchor the blue line with Hutson for years, which is a formidable pairing. That said, giving up two first-rounders and a former second-round forward is A LOT, plus the giant extension.