Jury still out on effects Noah Dobson trade had on Islanders

Trading Noah Dobson Montreal last summer may have been the only choice Mathieu Darche had, and it may turn into a long-term win-win for both teams.One year in, with Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson yet to make their NHL debuts — though hopefully the Islanders call up Eklund Tuesday to make Game 82 interesting — it’s too early to judge.What was strange though, and what remains strange, was seeing much of the reaction toward Dobson from Islanders fans, which so often boiled down to “Good riddance.” Had Dobson — who suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and will be reevaluated in two weeks, taking him out of at least some of the Habs’ first-round series — made his return to Long Island on Sunday as scheduled for the Islanders’ 4-11 playoff-eliminating loss, it seemed a distinct possibility that he would face boos.Maybe, and hopefully, that is a misread based on the more online parts of the fan base.

When Dobson makes his return to UBS with the Canadiens next season, he ought to be cheered.The 26-year-old was an excellent Islander, always represented the franchise well and has predictably proven hard to replace.

One of Lou Lamoriello’s bigger missteps was failing to extend Dobson and treat him like a franchise cornerstone two summers ago.That much is obvious.It’s hard to say the Islanders would be in playoff position with Dobson now, mainly because you can’t predict the cascading effects of adding his $9.5 million to the cap on the Islanders’ summer.

But what you can say with certainty is that the Islanders very badly missed him this season.That’s nothing against the trade, which was made with the long-term in mind, or Emil Heineman, who played well above expectation in scoring 22 goals and looks like a long-term piece of the puzzle for the Isles.It’s an acknowledgement of something obvious: that a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman who plays over 20 minutes a night is a rare commodity in the NHL, and the Islanders’ blue line...