Noah Dobson of the New York Islanders skates against the Philadelphia...

Noah Dobson of the New York Islanders skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena on  Jan 16, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac

On the plus side, the Islanders have gotten used to having key players injured — defensemen Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov and Mike Reilly, included — and out of their lineup this season.

But there is absolutely no positive to the expected news that top-pair defenseman Noah Dobson will miss time. How long is the pertinent question with the Islanders, winners of five of their last seven, clinging to hopes of mounting a playoff push.

For now, the Islanders are listing Dobson as having a lower-body injury with no timetable established for his return. But the signs are not good for a speedy recovery.

“You don’t replace Noah,” coach Patrick Roy said after Tuesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “He’s one of our better defensemen.”

Dobson, to zero surprise, did not participate in practice after exiting Monday night’s 3-1 win over the Blue Jackets at UBS Arena. He limped off the ice at 1:16 of the third period after his right leg bent awkwardly underneath him while being checked along the wall by Cole Sillinger. It’s likely Dobson hurt either his knee or his ankle on the play.

This may likely be the right-handed Dobson’s first prolonged absence from the lineup because of injury in his six NHL seasons.

“He’s a big part of our back end,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said. “He moves the puck up the ice really nice. Everyone has got to step up. It’s going to be more minutes for guys and hopefully we get him back soon.”

Actually, it’s a lot of minutes Roy will have to spread around.

Advanced analytics website NaturalStatTrick.com has calculated Dobson has logged the most time on ice of any Islander skating in all situations (1,104 minutes, 52 seconds), skating five-on-five (886:40) and on the power play (115:31). The NHL reports Dobson is averaging a team-high 24:01 per game.

That Dobson is having a down season — certainly compared to last season — is immaterial to the Islanders’ expected loss.

Dobson set career highs with 60 assists, 70 points and a plus-12 last season while garnering a few votes in the balloting for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. This season, he has six goals and 18 assists in 46 games and his minus-8 is an indication of some of the struggles he’s had with turnovers and playing in his own end.

Roy placed Mayfield in Dobson’s spot on a pair with Romanov at practice and inserted Dennis Cholowski onto the third pair with rookie Isaiah George. Cholowski also took Dobson’s spot on the first power-play unit.

The shame is that the Romanov-Dobson pairing was finally starting to regain its rhythm after Romanov missed 11 games because of an upper-body injury between Oct. 26-Nov. 25 and three more because of illness prior to Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Sharks.

“[Romanov] defends hard,” said Ryan Pulock, who remained paired with Pelech. “He’s physical. He sends a message out there sometimes. When he’s been out this year, you’ve noticed it.”

Mayfield is stout physically and defensively. But he is not the puck-moving or offensive threat that Dobson can be even as Roy wants all his defenseman pressing into the attack.

Notes & quotes: Kyle Palmieri also missed practice for maintenance but Roy said the top-six forward would be in the lineup when the Islanders continue their seven-game homestand against the Flyers on Friday night.

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