Once again this season, the New York Islanders have been offering underwhelming performances, and it shows in the rankings.
Two months into the 2024-25 NHL season, the Islanders are 7th in the Metropolitan Division, with a 10-11-7 record.
The team has been dealing with many injuries this year, notably to Anthony Duclair, Mathew Barzal, and now, goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
Bouncing back from their tough first stretch of the season won't be easy, and many believe the team could be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline if they can't turn things around soon.
One of the players that could be traded by the Islanders is the veteran Brock Nelson.
The Isles' 30th overall pick in 2010 is set to become a free agent after the current season, leading to many trade rumors involving the 33-year-old forward.
In an intervention on TSN, the insider Pierre LeBrun identified two teams who could be interested in acquiring him: the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars.
The Wild are off to a great start this season, and already completed a trade to add the coveted defenseman David Jiricek to their lineup.
Management could be looking to add another player to bolster their bottom six, especially with the injuries to Mats Zuccarello, Jakub Lauko, Jonas Brodin, and Joel Eriksson Ek.
As for the Stars, they announced a few days ago that Tyler Seguin would miss four to six months after undergoing surgery.
According to LeBrun, the Stars could use the freed-up cap space to get a player like Nelson.
In his own words:
We never know what will happen with general manager Lou Lamoriello, but it would make sense to see him try to trade Nelson.
POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 8 | 105 ANSWERS Two Teams Emerge as Trade Destinations for Islanders Forward Brock Nelson, per Insider Do you think the New York Islanders will trade Brock Nelson this season? | ||
Yes | 62 | 59 % |
No | 43 | 41 % |
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