The Islanders' Noah Dobson skates with the puck against the Kraken during the second period at UBS Arena on Feb. 2. Credit: Errol Anderson
Developing a defenseman for a full-time role in the NHL can take many different paths.
Wednesday night’s match between the Islanders and Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver provided three distinct examples in Noah Dobson, Kyle Burroughs and Robin Salo.
Dobson, the 12th overall pick in 2018, has fully blossomed into a two-way threat in his third NHL season without spending a minute in the AHL. Burroughs, at 26, has finally earned a full-time role with the Canucks, his third NHL organization after the Islanders selected him in the seventh round in 2013.