Montreal Canadiens defenceman Noah Dobson left Thursday’s pre-season game with the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the third period and did not return.
Dobson, 25, skated 15:16 thorugh the first two periods with a minus-1 ranking. The Maple Leafs were leading 5-2 at the time of his exit and ended up winning 7-2.
TSN’s Kenzie Lalonde reported after the game that Dobson and defenceman Kaiden Guhle are day-to-day with groin injuries.
Le défenseur Noah Dobson ne reviendra pas au jeu ce soir.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 26, 2025
Defenseman Noah Dobson will not return to play tonight.
The 6-foot-4 right-shot defenceman was acquired from the New York Islanders prior to the 2025 NHL Draft in June in exchange for forward Emil Heineman and two first-round draft picks.
Montreal proceeded to sign Dobson to an eight-year, $76 million contract with an annual cap hit of $9.5 million.
Dobson recorded 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games with the Islanders last season while averaging 23:16 of ice time.
The Summerside, P.E.I., native had a career high 10 goals and 70 points in 79 games during the 2023-24 campaign.
Defenceman David Reinbacher also left the game in the third period and did not return.
The 6-foot-3 right-shot defenceman skated 17:40 with one shot and a minus-2 rating before exiting the game and is still being evaluated for injury, according to Lalonde.
Reinbacher was drafted fifth overall by the Canadiens in 2023 and missed the first four months of the 2024-25 season after sustaining a knee injury in the pre-season.
Montreal is looking to take the next step forward as a franchise after making the playoffs for the first time since 2021 last season.
