The Montreal Canadiens are one of the Ottawa Senators' biggest rivals. In 2025, both the Senators and Canadiens ended their playoff droughts. The Senators made the playoffs for the first time since 2017; the Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Both the Senators and Canadiens have a young rising superstar defenseman on their team. Ottawa's Jake Sanderson finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting in 2025. Montreal's Lane Hutson won the 2025 Calder Trophy.
With both making the playoffs in 2025, it wouldn't have been a surprise if both teams made a strong signing or trade to improve their team this off-season. While the Senators have extended Nikolas Matinpalo, Tyler Kleven and Fabian Zetterlund, the Canadiens made a big splash to become a deeper and more dangerous team.
Habs trade for Dobson from Islanders
After trouble signing an extension with the New York Islanders, 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson was traded today to the Canadiens. Dobson will then have an eight-year contract extension at $9.5 million per year.
Noah Dobson is being traded to Montreal and signing an 8x$9.5M extension with the Canadiens
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2025
The Atlantic Division just got tougher for the Senators. In particular, their rivalry with the Canadiens.
Since the 2021-22 season, Dobson has been of the Islanders' most important players. In the 2023-24 season, Dobson recorded a career-high 70 points. During that season, Dobson recorded 60 assists. In his career, Dobson has recorded 230 points in 388 games.
However, the 2024-25 season was a struggle for Dobson and the Islanders. Dobson recorded 39 points with a -16 rating, and the Islanders failed to make the playoffs after making it in 2023 and 2024.
Dobson was seeking a contract extension with the Islanders at $10 million per year, but the Islanders couldn't make it work. Now, Dobson is off to Montreal to a Canadiens team that has a stronger defense.
Dobson and Hutson will be heavily relied on to produce offense for the Canadiens, and they both have the ability to do so.
Earlier today, the Senators got news that John Tavares signed a four-year extension to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, Dobson is coming into the division.