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Three days out from the NHL draft, in which the Islanders will pick first overall, it’s not Matthew Schaefer who is the most prominent defenseman in rumors connected to the team.
Schaefer has achieved consensus No. 1 status from experts, and though league sources caution that nothing is final as far as a decision by the Islanders, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t the pick on Friday.
Nevertheless, it’s the pair of pending restricted free agent Islanders defensemen, particularly Noah Dobson, whose names have been hot items around the league.
The leak to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli over the long weekend that Dobson’s initial ask in contract negotiations was $11 million annually set off rampant speculation around the 25-year-old’s future on Long Island.
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