Islanders' Noah Dobson learning how to harness his considerable skills

Noah Dobson is skating the path of those who came before him, and Barry Trotz believes it could one day end with him being a top-pair defenseman.

First it was Johnny Boychuk, who was integral in his development in his first NHL season, Dobson said. And now it’s Andy Greene, who skates alongside Dobson on the third defensive pairing and brings his 944 games of NHL experience with him as he goes. The confidence has rubbed off on him, Dobson said, and it’s certainly showing this season in his ascent to everyday player — he’s got a goal and five assists despite averaging only 17:55 of ice time.

"I think for a young guy it's really, really good for myself to see him and just kind of learn from it," Dobson said of Greene. "I think it doesn't matter what happens throughout the game, whether you make mistake [or not], he's just got that calmness and [the ability to] just focus on the next shift, so that's something I really, really took from him and he's definitely been a big help for me."

Naturally, there’s a long way to go. Trotz said he loved Dobson’s passing and skating but saw areas that needed improvement. And he’ll also need to weather the natural ebbs and flows of a young career.

"Hopefully he gets to another plateau and gets it to his highest level of hopefully being a top defenseman in the National Hockey League," Trotz said. " . . . just [has to go] through the growth path of a young player. There are going to be stints where they’re really good and stints where they look like they lost their confidence and not playing well."

Since Dobson’s passing is so above average, he’ll need to learn how to do more with less. He needs to "just let the puck do the work," Trotz said. "This game can humble you if you try to take it on by yourself . . . Do the simple right things all the time and it’s amazing, your skill comes out the other end."

And that aspect is as much mental as anything — trusting in your abilities, knowing when to pull back and being confident that the game will come to you. Dobson is working on it.

"You pick up things as you go along," Dobson said. "I just think this year with all the crazy circumstances and playing every other night, it's a really grind mentally . . . You’ve got to learn to prepare each night to play your best and I think that's just something that I've been learning along the way — just how important the mental side of the game is with so many games every other night. You’ve got to have a short memory, you’ve got to prepare like a pro and make sure you're preparing to bring your best each night."

Notes & quotes: Anthony Beauvillier (lower body) didn’t skate with the team on Wednesday, but Trotz said he’s making progress in his solo skates and "skated quite well." Though Beauvillier won't play against the Penguins Thursday, Trotz expects to have him back in games soon. Beauvillier has missed six games since getting injured in a game against the Devils on Jan. 24 . . . The Islanders assigned taxi squad players Otto Koivula and Dmytro Timashov to Bridgeport. Trotz said their depth at center would likely mean Koivula wouldn’t get much chance to play, anyway. "He needs to play," Trotz said of the 22-year-old. "He’s still a young, young player. Otto, I like where he is in terms of his growth . . . He’s been on the taxi squad since the bubble and here now, so he’s got to play in games."

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.