Noah Dobson – Acadie–Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Position: Defense
Born: 1/7/00- Summerside, PE, CAN
Height/Weight: 6’3” , 176 lbs
2017-18 Stats: 67 GP, 17 G, 52 A
Projection: Top ten pick – top-pairing defenseman
It’s no secret that the 2018 NHL Draft will feature some very talented young defensemen and several of them will most likely be selected early in the first round. Noah Dobson of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan could very well be the second blue-liner drafted behind Rasmus Dahlin.
So what makes Dobson such an enticing first-round draft option? Well, quite a bit actually. For starters it’s hard not to notice his physical stature (6’3” / 180 lbs) which he uses to his advantage. His height and long legs allow him to take long and powerful strides (with deceptive speed) up and down the ice to create odd-man rushes while simultaneously pushing the pace of play. Physically, he’s a responsible defensive workhorse who puts himself in the right areas of the ice to create some quality scoring chances.
The kid can hold his own on the blue-line and play a reliable two-way game, but can he score? Absolutely. Dobson finished the 2017-18 season tied for second among all QMJHL defensemen with 69 points (17 goals, 52 assists) in 67 games played. He possess a highly coveted strong right-handed shot that most recently helped Acadie-Bathurst capture their first ever Memorial Cup in which he tallied seven points (two goals, five assists) in four games.
And if you’re looking for another reason to like him, he can also quarterback a power play. In 2017-18 he led all QMJHL defenders with 11 total power play goals during the regular season and tied for ninth in power play assists with 18. Of his 17 regular season goals scored (good enough for third best among all league defensemen) 11 occurred while on the man-advantage.
Here’s Elite Prospects take on the young Dobson:
Rock solid defensively, his strong positioning severely limits time and space for the opposition. All-in-all, a well-rounded, reliable, and consistent defenceman that can log a lot of ice time and provide his team with a stable presence on the back end.
On paper, he really does look like the near total defensive package/prospect. He’s big, skates well, is responsible, produces points, runs a power play, and can log all the minutes you can throw at him. It’s hard to imagine a team/GM that wouldn’t be enamored with the possibility of landing a player of his caliber.
I have to imagine Ken Holland being one of the aforementioned general managers who would love to acquire all that Dobson has to offer. If we learned anything from Detroit’s 2017 draft it’s that Holland and the Red Wings preferred selecting big players in hopes of making the Wings a much tougher team to play/match-up against in the years to come.
Detroit’s current top defensive prospects are certainly not the most intimidating when it comes to physical measurements – Joe Hicketts (5’ 8”), Vili Saarijarvi (5’ 10”), Filip Hronek (6’ 0”), and Dennis Cholowski (6’ 1”). This is not a knock on any of these players by any means as size is not always the most important factor, but it also doesn’t hurt to have a little bit on your side also.
If Dobson is still available at sixth overall when the Red Wings make their selection it might be hard to pass up on a player of his skill. Whichever team ends up calling his name on Friday night they will certainly be more than happy to have him enter into their organization.
Would Noah Dobson be a good choice for the Wings at sixth overall if available?
| Absolutely! | 270 |
| I’d prefer someone else. | 138 |
| Wings will trade out of sixth. | 30 |
