The Islanders must trade Noah Dobson at the deadline amid a defensive overhaul that could lead to a massive deal.

The exact time frames for Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield to return aren’t known, but Dobson and Pulock — whose time frames are longer — are expected to begin skating during the 4 Nations break, with Mayfield having been described as day to day heading into the two-week layoff.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, speaking on Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, clarified that while Dobson isn’t widely available, the Islanders have had “specific” trade talks that may have involved moving him under the right circumstances.

If the Islanders are going to add, a trade for Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt makes sense before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

The New York Islanders are in a weird spot. They’re still relatively close to a postseason spot, just four points out with a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games.

All that, and the Islanders are right where they’ve always been. There was supposed to be some clarity by now on what this team is, and thus which direction it should go at the trade deadline in a month.