Late-breaking Noah Dobson surprise confirmed by trusted sources
Noah Dobson's return to the ice just handed Martin St-Louis the kind of playoff problem every coach wants.
The Canadiens defenseman has resumed skating, a step that confirms his recovery is moving in the right direction.
That doesn't lock him in for Game 4 against Tampa Bay, but it changes the conversation around Montreal's blue line.
Dobson had been placed in a 2-week reevaluation window after the injury.
The expectation around his thumb issue was a 4-to-6-week absence, so this update matters.
That's where the story turns.
A player like Dobson doesn't stay out of the lineup once he's cleared, especially in the playoffs.
But St-Louis isn't looking at a struggling group that needs saving.
He's looking at a defense corps that has held its structure and kept the Canadiens in a strong spot in the series.
Montreal leads Tampa Bay 2-1, and Dobson still hasn't played a minute in the matchup.
That alone tells you how steady the group has been without its biggest-ticket defenseman.
Martin St-Louis now has a real blue-line call with Noah Dobson
Early in the postseason, the easy assumption was that Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble would lose his spot once Dobson returned. That no longer looks automatic.
Both have given Montreal firm, low-maintenance minutes in limited usage. When a third-pair unit is winning its shifts and staying out of trouble, coaches notice fast.
There's no real case to touch Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, or Kaiden Guhle either. Those minutes are spoken for, and Alexandre Carrier remains the club's only right-shot regular in uniform.
So the issue isn't whether Dobson belongs. It's who comes out when he's ready, and whether St-Louis wants to disrupt a group that has found its playoff rhythm.
Dobson carries a $9.5M cap hit, and players in that tier are expected to drive games, not watch from the press box. That's what makes this such a sharp call for Montreal's staff.
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The good news for the Canadiens is obvious. Dobson skating again means help is getting closer, and the team suddenly has more depth than empty lineup spots.
That's a pressure point St-Louis will gladly take in late April. Still, a return this big usually solves one problem and creates another.
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YESTERDAY
APRIL 25, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Sebastian Aho | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Drake Batherson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sidney Crosby | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brock Faber | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rickard Rakell | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matt Duchene | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Seth Jarvis | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mikko Rantanen | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Carter Yakemchuk | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Denver Barkey | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Matthew Boldy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Cozens | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Connor Dewar | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Travis Konecny | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kristopher Letang | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jason Robertson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||