Noah Dobson is perhaps the best North American two-way defenseman at the 2018 NHL Draft
The 2018 NHL Draft is going to be full of some great defensemen. Rasmus Dahlin is perhaps the best blueline prospect to come along in roughly 20 years (likely longer). But even once you get past him, there are going to be some extremely good defensemen drafted in 2018. Noah Dobson will be one of them.
Dobson is perhaps the best two-way defenseman of all the North American prospects. I’d put Dahlin and Boqvist comfortably ahead of him. Quinn Hughes still has to develop defensively, but certainly has the offense to be a two-way defenseman. Dobson has the tools to be one as well.
Prospect Profile
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Height: 6’3″ (190 cm)
Weight: 179 pounds (81 kilograms)
Team: Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
Country: Canada
Position: Defenseman
Handedness: Right-handed
Date of birth: January 7, 2000
QMJHL Statistics*: 67 games, 17 goals, 52 assists, 69 points, 52 penalty minutes, +33 plus-minus rating
Average Prospect Ranking**: 9.0
All profile info is courtesy of Elite Prospects.
*Stats are as of March 20, 2018
** Average prospect rankings are the collective average of a prospect’s rankings (McKeen’s, Hockey Prospect, Future Considerations, ISS Hockey)
Strengths
Dobson is very noticeable on the ice, in a good way. He’s usually one of the best players on the ice at any given moment. Dobson has very nice size and knows how to use it effectively. He finishes checks and isn’t afraid to poke the puck free. Dobson has a very nice shot, one of the better ones from a defenseman in the 2018 draft.
He’s been getting minutes during all situations for the Titan. Dobson has shown a ton of growth this year offensively, leading a potent power play. At the same time, he’s also made some impressive strides defensively. Before this season, I had him as a late first-rounder. But with his recent improvements, I’d have to question anyone who doesn’t have him somewhere in their top 12.
Weaknesses
The one thing about Dobson which concerns me is his speed. He’s a mighty fine skater and I’d even say he’s above-average there. However, Dobson lacks the explosiveness you like to see out of guys like him. Also, he has had issues facing teams with up-tempo offenses. That said, I wouldn’t call either concern a red flag.
Highlights
Overall Outlook
Dobson admittedly doesn’t have the offensive upside of Dahlin, Boqvist, or Hughes. Those guys are excellent skaters while he is merely very good. Which is fine! However, you could argue Dobson is the second-best among the quartet defensively, trailing only Dahlin.
Next: 2018 NHL Mock Draft Version 2.0
Player Comparable
He reminds me a lot of Ryan Suter. You can rely on Dobson to play a ton of minutes during all situations. Nothing is flashy about his game, but he makes a lot of smart decisions and is solid defensively. There is a ton of value in not being flashy if you make up for it in other areas.
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