It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re closing in on the March 7 trade deadline and we could see some deals made. Friday night saw a blockbuster trade go down. However, we could see more fireworks before all the dust settles. Teams on the brink of falling out of contention have to make some tough decisions. One of these clubs is the New York Islanders. This edition of NHL rumours deals with one veteran that could be a desired trade piece.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
New York Islanders Forward Could be Trade Target
Rumour: Chris Johnston of The Athletic released his Big Trade Board 4.0 on Friday. Islanders mainstay Brock Nelson appears as the second target for the entire list heading into the trade deadline.
Analysis: The blockbuster deal between the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche was a shocker. However, we could see some other names be on the move.
Nelson shows up on the list as the Islanders try to salvage their season. We saw general manager Lou Lamoriello take a risk by signing controversial defenceman Tony DeAngelo for the rest of the season. However, it may be too little, too late for New York in its quest to back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Lamoriello may have to cut bait and trade off some players to clear out some space and acquire assets. This means that stalwarts like Nelson could be on trade block for the right package.
Nelson is 33 years old and carries a cap hit of $6 million per season. However, the left wing is an unrestricted free agent and could be a good rental for a contending team looking for a veteran presence in the lineup.
What It Means
The Islanders could still turn things around and Lamoriello could decide to risk Nelson walking away for nothing. However, the Isles are still six points off a post-season spot despite a three-game winning streak entering Saturday’s games. It also doesn’t help that Noah Dobson could miss a good chunk of time due to injury.
The writing could be on the wall for Lamoriello and he may have to spin UFAs into future assets. Teams that are on the borderline of pretender and contender have some really tough decisions to make when it comes to the future.
Johnston mentioned that someone like Nelson could be the perfect addition for a team seeking a deep post-season run. The Athletic insider said teams could fall all over themselves in order to secure Nelson’s services.
His experience, goal-scoring and all-around play give him traits that teams would desire. Nelson could slot into the lineup as a second-line centre. However, Johnston also mentioned that Nelson could play on the wing on the top-two lines. He’s got versatility that makes him useful to any team that would acquire him.
The main caveat is if the Islanders fall out of contention. Their recent surge could give them some hope, but things could change quickly before the deadline.
Main photo by: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
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