Brock Nelson has been a heart and soul player for the New York Islanders for his entire National Hockey League career — but he might be leaving Long Island behind ahead of Friday's NHL Trade Deadline.

A top trade candidate in 2024-25 — and with the Islanders on the outside looking in for a wild card berth in the Eastern Conference — it's expected that the veteran will get dealt sometime in the next 48 hours. And he gave an emotional interview after a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena on Tuesday night.

“I just worry about playing the game, that's about it,” Nelson said after scoring a goal and an assist in the contest.

“I think it's a great place, great fans,” he continued when asked what the most special part about playing at UBS Arena is.

Nelson had a tough time getting through the interview, which makes sense considering his name has been swirling in trade rumors for basically the entire season.

A pending unrestricted free agent on July 1, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has to decide whether to trade the effective forward, or potentially watch him walk for nothing over the summer.

Currently 28-26-7 and sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, New York is three points back of the final wild card slot in the East with 21 games left.

But the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers all stand between the Islanders and a postseason berth, and with just four wins in their last 10 games, things are looking bleak.

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For that reason, it's widely expected that Nelson will be getting a change of scenery before the deadline. The same can be said for pending UFA Kyle Palmieri, who has managed 41 points in 61 games.

Nelson is tied for the team lead in scoring with 43 points in 61 games of his own, and he should command a haul on the trade market. Originally selected 30th overall by the Islanders in the 2010 NHL Draft, the Warroad, Minnesota native has spent over a decade in New York's organization.

He began with the American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers and has been a National Hockey League regular since 2013-14.

“I’ve had conversations with (general manager) Lou [Lamoriello] and I’ve been honest,” Nelson said after Tuesday's win, per NHL.com's Stefen Rosner. “I really, truly, have been worried about here and playing and doing everything we can to win.”

Nelson continues to etch his name in New York history, becoming the ninth player in franchise history to score 20 or more goals in nine seasons, per Rosner. He also passed franchise legend Bobby Nystrom for the fourth-most games played with New York at 901.

That was the Isles' last game at UBS Arena before the deadline; the team will now head out on a three-game California road trip that passes through San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles over the next week.

It'll be intriguing to see if Nelson is still a part of the equation in Long Island when the team returns home next Friday, March 14.