Guys who skate like Dobson can are incredibly rare. IK you keep using the Pietrangelo comparison but I think the difference in skating ability between the two is massive. Maybe I’m misremembering Pietrangelo — but with Dobson I’m good with bridging him. This is the right move considering the fact they have to sign Barzal next off season and Sorokin the year after that.

Also they have to pay Sorokin and Barzal. A long term extension wasn’t in the cards.

You've been pushing this long term deal narrative for weeks now. It doesn't work like that, multiple people have explained to you that it's in both the team and player's best interest to sign up until RFA status is over. Everyone told you it would be three years, you didn't listen, and you were wrong like everyone expected.

Neither party would agree to it as 3 years is the safest bet for everyone. You're argument is penny pinching. The NHL isn't built to plan out for the next 5 years.

I said I wanted a long term deal, Lou is arguably the worst GM in the NHL so you can’t expect him to be forward thinking. He’d rather give long term term deals to 4th line scrubs.

You can’t say Dobson wouldn’t accept at all costs. There was a number that could have bought UFA years. That number likely would start with a 7.

Save money now and pay him later. It makes a lot more sense then you’d think. Especially with the salary cap not expected to jump too high in the coming years and by then you won’t have Josh Bailey or Kyle Palmieri under contracts by then.

Use some logic here...

Let's say they did a 8yearsx7mill instead. That's 56 mill total and he's a UFA at 30 years old. Meaning he's made 56 mill for a majority of his career and now at the tail end, maybe signing a 5-7 year deal around the same. Career totals to 112mill (being generous) and he bounced around from at least three different teams for deals

With the current deal, 3yearsx4mill 12mill total. If he plays really well and nails a 9mill deal next contract when he's 25, sign in for 8 years then it's a 72mill deal. He'll be 33. Get's lucky and signs a 3-5 year deal (let's say 5) at 5 to 7 mill (let's say 5), that's 25mill. Career totals to 109 (being conservative) while being on the same team, maybe 2.

So even with the conservative math, it's nearly a wash going the safe route. It's something both party's agree to because of this. 3 years at 4 mill is an amazing deal especially since they still retain his rights in his prime. Lou basically guaranteed we have a cost controlled Dobson in his prime and beyond. If you like Dobson that much you should be happy.

Also, that awful GM will be in the HOF. What hall is your name in?

Chabot and Heiskanen both signed 8 year deals , there is a price for locking down your star players. An 8 x 8 contract would take him to his age 30 season and then he’d likely get a 7 year deal in the 8.5-9 mill range, so about 120 mill career earnings. And the team signing him to that contract doesn’t have to be the islanders - a defensemans prime years are 22-28 YO . An 8 year deal now buys up all his prime years.

Right now Lou is arguably the worst GM in the NHL - it doesn’t matter what he did 20 years ago. He gave up a top 10 defenseman in the league for scraps, he’s not worthy of being called a good GM at this point. The game has passed him by