USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
Two pieces of news this week should be of note to the Islanders and to Noah Dobson’s camp as the two sides eye an eventual contract extension: the contracts signed by Kaiden Guhle and Brock Faber.
Though neither situation is a direct comparable for Dobson — who is a year out from restricted free agency and heads into his age-25 season having scored 70 points last season while averaging 24:31 of ice and carrying a massive load for the Islanders — both deals reflect the rising market for young defensemen that makes it amenable for both sides to get an extension done before the start of the season.
Guhle has played just two seasons for the Canadiens on his rookie deal, and it would have been easy to let him play out a third before handing him a bridge deal. Instead, Montreal acted to give him a six-year deal averaging $5.55 million annually that will keep him under contract through the 2030-31 season.
Faber, who finished second behind Connor Bedard in Calder Trophy balloting, was in the same contract situation as Guhle with a year to go on his entry-level deal, though Faber has had more production in the NHL (47 points in 84 games). The Wild handed him eight years at $8.5 million annually, on the belief that Faber is their No. 1 righty defenseman of the future.