It's within the NY Islanders control to silence Brock Nelson trade speculation

You're already starting to see the occasional rumor-driven publications categorize New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson as one of the top targets at the trade deadline. The reason for that is two-fold: 1) Nelson is an unrestricted free agent next season, and 2) as usual, the pundits expect the Isles to be firmly on the playoff bubble heading into March.

"I'm curious to see what they do Brock Nelson contract-wise because I think he's a huge part of the group, not that Lamoriello is going to tell me," SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman said on his most recent 32 Thoughts podcast.

We are, too, Elliotte!

It's within the NY Islanders control to silence Brock Nelson trade speculation

Nelson is entering the final year of a six-year contract extension he signed before starting the 2019-20 season. On a team that sometimes (sometimes, more than sometimes) struggles to score, Nelson has been its leading scorer in each of the previous five seasons, including three straight 30+ goal campaigns. He's developed into an All-Star caliber scorer and one of their most reliable and consistent players. It's hard to ponder where this team would be without Nelson's production.

That's why Nelson would likely demand one of the highest returns for a rental player later this year, and speculation will pick up if the Islanders aren't firmly in playoff position as the deadline approaches. This has happened in each of the last three seasons. The Isles sputter their way to being in playoff contention but are far from a lock and even further from true contention.

The fanbase has been divided whether the team should be sellers to jumpstart a rebuild, but each season, GM Lou Lamoriello doubles-down on his roster by either adding pieces or staying put. That's led to post-season berths each of the last two years, but won't quell the same dialogue around the team later this year if they are in a similar situation.

One way to stop that speculation is to win more consistently early in the season and be viewed as a virtual lock for the postseason at the deadline. Over the last decade of Islanders hockey, that's only happened thrice: 2014-15, 2018-19, and 2021. There wasn't a question of whether the Isles would make the playoffs; it was just a matter of positioning, and they were viewed as clear buyers at the deadline instead of potential sellers.

Unless Lamoriello surprises us with an early contract extension for the soon-to-be 33-year-old, we can expect Nelson's name (and Kyle Palmieri's) to be front and center of trade speculation around the league unless the Islanders prove that they are better than a team capable of being a Wild Card, and one that is looking to bolster their lineup for a deep playoff run.