Leaked Report Reveals Failed Mitch Marner Trade Between Maple Leafs and Islanders

With the Islanders trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, they ended up acquiring two first round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (16th and 17th) as well as forward Emil Heineman.

It was a savvy move for both sides, as the Canadiens get a young, outstanding defensive cornerstone, meanwhile the Islanders essentially wave the white flag as they head into the Matthew Schaefer era; whom they drafted first overall on Friday night.

But according to reports, it might not have been in Quebec where Dobson ended up, and it may have very well been with their most heated rivals: The Toronto Maple Leafs.

While the source revealing the information isn't mentioned, it seems that Lou Lamoriello wanted to bring in his former forward in Toronto over to Long Island, and it would have seen Dobson sent the other way.

No word on what other pieces might have been exchanged, but swapping Marner out for essentially Morgan Rielly's replacement would have been both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, the Maple Leafs wouldn't have benefitted from the 102-point season that Marner put in this season, and there's no telling how successful they would have been in securing the Atlantic Division this season.

However, adding a then 24-year old Dobson who was in the midst of a 70-point campaign would have made Toronto's defense better both in their end and on the offensive side.

Dobson isn't afraid to move the puck and he certainly isn't afraid to let it fly, and that would be a huge improvement and a much different look than what Rielly's brought.

In his short career, Dobson has 230 points in 388 games (50G, 180A) while adding 654 blocks and 344 hits; he's a fantastic two-way defender who is years from his prime still.

But it seems that either Brad Treliving was hesitant to trade away Marner, or it was another declined move on behalf of Toronto's former star forward as things never materialized.

Though it might have been another reason, and it's something that's haunted the Maple Leafs seemingly for a long time, and that's the lack of premium draft picks. If they had held onto one of their next three first rounders (25, 26, 27) then they may have had a better shot at bringing in Dobson in back then.

They acquired Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton for them, and while they are certainly serviceable, it stings to lose out on a player like Dobson.

It certainly would have helped now, and there was a chance the team could have dangled some players in addition to the pick to get it done.

However Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs want to acquire the right pieces this summer, they are going to have to find some creative ways considering they aren't without solid draft picks.

They've proven they can do it with the John Tavares contract, and with that out of the way, who knows what else they have planned?