The New York Islanders lost 4-0 to the New York Rangers on Monday, pushing them further away from the playoffs. With the season slipping away, general manager Lou Lamoriello should be looking to sell at the NHL trade deadline. The Islanders have the top piece on many trade boards in center Brock Nelson. The Colorado Avalanche are one team asking around about Nelson, according to David Pagnotta of The 4th Period.
“…[GM Chris] MacFarland is also weighing his options and could enter the rental market if the right opportunity arises. One player the Avalanche are believed to have interest is in New York Islanders center Brock Nelson, who has also drawn serious interest from the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, among others.”
Pagnotta also said that the Avalanche are looking for a younger center, with Casey Mittlestadt dangling as a return piece. But MacFarland could make a move for the right center, which Nelson may be. They lost a lot of goals when they traded Mikko Rantanen, even with Martin Necas’ torrid start to his Colorado tenure. The Islanders could be the right trade partner at this deadline.
The Islanders must trade Nelson and should be asking for a first-round pick or top prospect back. Are the Avalanche the right partner?
The perfect partners for the Islanders in a Brock Nelson trade
There are plenty of teams who could use Nelson’s 30-goal ability and face-off skills during the playoffs. With the Western Conference races heating up, some of the Avalanche’s division rivals could be calling the Islanders. Nelson’s hometown Minnesota Wild could use a scorer but injury updates could prevent that deal.
When Bill Guerin picked Nelson for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the jokes were easy. The Wild GM picked the Minnesota native to butter him up before trading for him in the NHL. But Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are coming back from injury during the regular season. With their current cap situation, they cannot add Nelson unless they dump a significant player.
The Jets and Stars are the more likely Central Division teams that could swipe Nelson from the Avalanche’s fingers. Both teams are looking to capitalize on a competitive window where they haven’t won the Cup. Could that desperation drive up the price for the Islanders’ center? Lamoriello could point to his 27 playoff goals in 78 games to show why he will be important in the Western Conference playoff chase.
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