When the Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson last June, the same comment came up often. Since the start of the season, we've seen that Dobson is (more than) capable of defending, and he's doing his job well. It's simple: among all the players in the National Hockey League, Colton Parayko is the only one with more blocked shots than Dobson so far this season. The Habs defenseman is one blocked shot away from leading the National Hockey League in that category, which is no small feat:Meanwhile, on Long Island, Emil Heineman is struggling. — Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) January 29, 2026It may be too early to say outright that the Canadiens won the trade.