When the Canadiens landed Noah Dobson last offseason, they weren’t just adding a right-shot defenseman. They were bringing in one of the NHL’s most productive shooters from the right side of the blue line, and the league’s latest graphic put that on full display.
The NHL released a chart on Wednesday tracking goal-scoring hot spots across the ice, and Dobson showed up at the top of one of the most telling categories: goals from the right side of the blueline over the last five years. He leads the league there with 15 goals, most of them coming before his move to Montreal, though his presence was felt quickly once he arrived.
That kind of production helps explain why Kent Hughes was willing to part with two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to get him.
Dobson’s numbers also stand out because of how they fit into the rest of the league’s scoring map. Cale Makar leads from the middle of the blueline with 31 goals, while Quinn Hughes has the most from the left side with 11.
The graphic had plenty of other familiar names too. Zach Hyman leads goals from the crease with 33.
Alex DeBrincat tops the left side in close with 24, a spot where Cole Caufield could one day wind up. Brayden Point owns the slot with 117 goals, while Leon Draisaitl leads from close range on the right with 33.
A little farther out, David Pastrnak has made the right-side boards his territory with 21 goals over the last five years. Alex Ovechkin leads from the left faceoff dot with 51, Jordan Kyrou has the high slot with 42, and Nikita Kucherov owns the left faceoff dot with 33. Draisaitl also shows up again as the leader from the right side farther out near the boards.
For Montreal, the bigger takeaway is how Dobson fits among that group. He’s in rare company, and the Canadiens may have more names join him down the line. Caufield could eventually emerge in one of those shooting lanes, and Ivan Demidov might too if his game shifts more toward finishing than feeding teammates.
Rookies usually lean on the safer play, so a rise in shot volume wouldn’t be surprising. Lane Hutson already showed that kind of jump last season, going from six goals to 12 in a single year. Still, he’s far more of a passer than a scorer, so a spot on a graphic like this would be a long shot.
Demidov, meanwhile, already posted 19 goals in his rookie season, a total that leaves plenty of room for more if his scoring instincts keep growing.
In Other News...
Quiet Canadiens Trade Just Became A Real Roster Problem
The Canadiens swap of Joshua Roy for Maksymilian Szuber looked like a straightforward depth move at first, but it may be a little more complicated now that the season is getting closer. Montreal added Szuber from the Utah Mammoth with an eye toward shoring up its blue line, and the appeal is clear enough: he brings a steady defensive game, plays a reliable style and profiles as the kind of player coaches tend to trust in a bottom-pairing or extra-defenseman role.
The wrinkle is roster management. Szuber is not waiver-exempt this season, which gives the Canadiens a real reason to think twice about where he starts the year. If Montreal wants to keep him in the organization, it may have to carry him on the NHL roster instead of trying to stash him in Laval, and that can quickly create a numbers crunch for a team still sorting out its defensive picture. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Costly Zachary Bolduc Decision This Summer
Zachary Bolducs contract situation is already shaping up to be one of the more delicate decisions on the Canadiens summer docket. The young forward remains unsigned for the coming season, and there is growing debate around whether Montreal should steer him toward a bridge deal or jump into a longer-term commitment while his place in the lineup is still being defined.
The hesitation is easy to understand from the Canadiens side. Bolducs rookie year was uneven, and the organization still has to weigh his development against the kind of role it believes he can eventually handle. Before the club commits real money and real term, it wants a clearer read on where he fits, which means this negotiation could take some time before the picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Tough Dylan Larkin Trade Dilemma
Dylan Larkins trade request has put the Detroit Red Wings in an awkward spot, and it has also created a tricky one for Montreal. Any serious talks around a deal would naturally draw interest from a Canadiens front office that has often preferred to build its exchanges around prospects and draft capital, a formula that has helped preserve the long-term runway of its roster.
The problem is that Detroit is looking for a different kind of return this time, and that changes the calculus for Montreal. The Red Wings want players who can step in and help right away, which makes the negotiations far less straightforward for a team that usually leans on future assets, especially when the other side is trying to manage the message it sends to young core pieces already in place. [Read more 🡒]