Full trade grade and analysis: New York Islanders land big haul in Brock Nelson deal

The New York Islanders ended months of speculation by trading Brock Nelson late Thursday night. Reports suggesting that Nelson had rejected a contract extension offer from the Islanders all but assured that the Isles would move Nelson ahead of Friday’s deadline.

The only remaining question was who the Isles would partner up to make the move. In the end, it was the Colorado Avalanche who ponied up the goods to land the top trade target on this year’s watchlist.

While it is certainly sad to see Nelson go, the fact of the matter is that the Islanders hit a home run in this deal. So, let’s get down to the full details and analysis of this blockbuster trade.

First, the obvious piece is Brock Nelson leaving Long Island. As my colleagues here at Eyes for Isles first reported, Nelson had rejected a three-year extension earlier in the day. It was a last-ditch effort to keep Nelson on The Island. It didn’t work and so a trade was imminent.

Personally, my picks were either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Colorado Avalanche. The Leafs hadn’t reportedly been in on Nelson for a while. The Avalanche also seemed motivated to get a deal done. But after acquiring Ryan Lindgren from the Rangers, it seemed the Avalanche were out of ammo, or so we thought.

The Avalanche were willing to part with top prospect Calum Ritchie and a first-round pick. That was enough to sway Lou Lamoriello to pull the trigger on the deal. It’s hard to imagine that any other club would have made a higher offer than the Avalanche.

In the end, the Isles got Ritchie, a 2026 first-rounder, defenseman Oliver Kylington (more on that in a minute), and a 2028 third-rounder. Also, the Isles retained 50% of Nelson’s cap hit.

Overall, the return was fantastic for Nelson. Despite throwing Willaim Dufour into the mix, the Islanders made away like bandits in this deal. Instead of getting fleeced, the islanders got a solid return for what looked like a no-win situation.