Islanders’ Noah Dobson seeking to enhance on sturdy 2023-24 season

Noah Dobson heard the questions a yr in the past, answered them after which some.

That ended up being the season through which Dobson took The Leap, reworking from a younger participant filled with potential to a star participant fulfilling his potential.

He scored extra factors than any Islanders defenseman since Denis Potvin.

He carried the protection corps on his again via accidents and skated 24:31 per recreation.

His title appeared on the odd Norris Trophy poll.

This was the participant the Islanders envisioned when Dobson was drafted No. 12 total in 2018, the participant they nonetheless believed he may very well be when he spent chunks of the 2022-23 season struggling and on the third pair.

He proved them proper.

So. What does the encore appear like?

“I believe you’re at all times attempting to construct on what you’ve completed,” Dobson instructed The Submit following Tuesday’s observe. “However I believe when you might have a very good yr, the toughest factor is, it’s important to observe that up. I believe that’s simply my mindset every day, to ensure I’m pushing to maintain getting to a different degree.”

The 24-year-old Dobson’s 70 factors final season ranked seventh amongst all defensemen; his 60 assists ranked sixth.

There’s at all times room for enchancment, however on the offensive facet, Dobson is trying extra to tune his expertise — for instance, he observed that he shot the puck rather less than he’d want final season — than take a large soar ahead.

The following step in cementing himself amongst the league’s higher echelon of defensemen is within the defensive zone, the place Dobson has gotten rather more dependable, however didn’t fairly attain an elite degree final season.

“I believe simply my battles within the nook, my retrievals,” he stated. “Simply engaged on the small print, good physique place. My posture going into battles. Little issues like that, that may make a giant distinction. Simply attempting to be cleaner on the breakouts, win extra puck battles within the corners. I believe that can add to the general recreation.”

That’s proper in keeping with what coach Patrick Roy desires to see him doing.

“I believe if he continues to get higher in his one-on-one, compete degree scenario, his box-out, net-front consciousness on the ice, I believe that’s what I’m trying [for] from him,” Roy stated final week. “These are all issues that he’s very able to, it’s only a matter of gapping up, ensure that his knees are bent and he’s taking part in. These are issues he’s doing so much. Would like to see him doing it on a regular basis.”

These are the marginal issues that make all of the distinction, that separate the Victor Hedmans and Roman Josis of the world from the remainder of the pack.

Dobson, who shall be helped by the mix of a wholesome six-man protection corps and the anticipated consistency of his partnership with Alexander Romanov, is correct on the precipice of that group, which incorporates the very best handful of defensemen on this planet.

Although a contract extension hasn’t occurred but for the pending restricted free agent, he shall be paid prefer it when that does come to fruition.

And he’s prone to be part of Workforce Canada at February’s 4 Nations Event, an opportunity to ascertain himself beneath the intense lights of best-on-best worldwide play.

Within the final couple days earlier than the 82-game marathon begins with a house date in opposition to Utah, although, Dobson isn’t making large declarations or worrying about his future and even writing down objectives.

That’s not his model.

“I believe for me it’s extra simply, I wish to be a giant a part of the crew in all areas of the sport and proceed to raise,” he stated. “Trigger I really feel like if I try this and do my job nicely, it units up the crew to have extra success. I believe that’s simply working in direction of being the very best participant I can for the crew to have extra success.”