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The New York Islanders are fresh off a seven-game winning streak that has them back in the playoff race. Part of the resurgence has been thanks to Brock Nelson. He has scored five of his 15 goals since January 1, pushing for a fourth straight 30-goal season. Nelson has been a hot name ahead of the upcoming NHL trade deadline but one insider thinks he may not move. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman says the Islanders may hold onto Nelson at the trade deadline.
“I'll say this like we're all talking about Brock Nelson and I don't know what's going to happen here,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “But you know people are afraid to talk about it because it's [GM Lou] Lamoriello and they don't want to cross Lamoriello but at this point in time, the Islanders really haven't shown a lot of indication that they don't want to that they want to do anything with them”
Friedman mentions the fear around Lamoriello among sources. The Islanders' veteran GM likes to keep transactions private until they are done and a Nelson trade would fall into that bucket. So there is a chance that Lamoriello is working on a Nelson trade and Friedman is not privy to that information. But given his history, that is not likely.
The Islanders may not sell because of Lou Lamoriello
Since joining the Islanders before the 2018-19 season, Lamoriello has not sold at the trade deadline. Part of that is because they have made the playoffs in five of his six seasons as the boss. But the one year they did not make the playoffs, he did not deal pending free agents Semyon Varlamov and Cal Clutterbuck. That must change before the March 7 deadline.
Even after winning seven straight games, the Islanders are still out of the playoffs. They have three teams to jump, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Columbus Blue Jackets, and are four points back. While they can ride the hot stretch into the international break, that still may not be enough to make the playoffs.
If Lamoriello does want to trade Nelson, he may not open up conversations until after the 4 Nations Face-Off. Nelson will be on Team USA which could lead to big goals on a big stage, unlike playing on the Islanders. The price could also go up with dwindling inventory. But the injury risk makes this a very dangerous idea for Lamoriello and the Islanders front office.
Plenty of teams should be in on Nelson, including Western Conference stalwarts Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. But if the Islanders hold onto him, they could be dangerous in the final weeks of the season.
