Noah Dobson is the number one defenseman the Maple Leafs could’ve landed but didn’t

During the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens stunned everyone by trading their 16th and 17th overall picks as well as Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders for defenceman Noah Dobson, ensuring they added one of the premier, young puck-movers in the league.

So far, Dobson has acclimated nicely in La Belle Province, as he's posted 47 points in 78 games with the Canadiens which includes a plus-7, 186 blocks, and 57 hits while logging nearly 23 minutes a night and has become a key part of the Montreal blueline along with Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson.

But Dobson was getting interest from a lot of teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs, who certainly could have used Dobson as a replacement for Morgan Rielly, and very well could have made a deal to bring him aboard.

However, it was Toronto's inability to be patient or find a suitable (and cheaper) option for their playoff runs that was their downfall. In giving up their 2026 first-round pick to Boston for Brandon Carlo, as well as a 2027 first-rounder for Scott Laughton — that was the exact ammunition they needed to acquire Dobson.

Those rushed deadline deals for their veterans leaves Toronto with a bitter reality especially knowing that Laughton was gone literally a year later — they willingly threw away their future for nothing.

Montreal narrowed in on a glaring hole in their lineup which was puck-movement from the right side, and they decided that getting Dobson was worth the risk as opposed to drafting their potential blueliner. It was a very smart gamble on Kent Hughes' part; something only Brad Treliving could dream of.

There's a reason why Toronto is using a third-party firm to get their new leader because they need someone who actually doesn't mind taking a risk now and again.

Dobson isn't the only name who was brought up as a target for the Maple Leafs since last summer, with guys like Rasmus Andersson and Dougie Hamilton filling the headlines with rumours about a move to Toronto.

But they never pulled the trigger, and even when they could have still made a playoff push given they improved some holes in their lineup — they stood idly by as other teams pounced.

Montreal was betting on Dobson getting back to his 70-point level after a struggling season and that risk has paid off in spades. Those are the types of moves that separate winning GMs from those who find themselves fired with two weeks left.

Winners risk it all, but often times they take it all too and it's time for the Maple Leafs to start getting a little selfish.

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