Rumor swirling that teams are calling the NY Islanders on Brock Nelson

As the NY Islanders season hangs in limbo and we inch closer to the March 8 trade deadline, rumors are beginning to swirl around the NHL. The Isles are still in the thick of the playoff hunt, trailing the Detroit Red Wings by eight points for the second Wild Card position. With 25 games remaining, the Islanders have their work cut out for them, and if Lou Lamoriello feels his team is out of it within the next 12 days, he could look to ship out some personnel in exchange for assets.

With not much coming off the books this off-season in terms of salary, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin are the only two regulars without a contract next season, and could be two players moved out, but would only yield a mid-round pick in return.

One player that could help expedite an Islanders retool/rebuild would be Brock Nelson. A recent rumor has surfaced on 'X' that teams are calling Lamoriello regarding the goal-scoring center. Teams mentioned to be circling are the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and NY Rangers.

While it isn't your typical insider from one of the major networks, Incarcerated Bob is a known Islanders fan and has been spot-on with some of his rumors in the past.

Nelson has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6M. It's difficult to imagine that Lamoriello would move on from his leading goal scorer unless he receives a haul that is impossible to turn down. A first-round pick and a top prospect would be the minimum starting asking price, and only the Stars have a prospect that would warrant Lamoriello making a move of this magnitude, and that's Logan Stankoven - but Stars GM Jim Nill may not be willing to move on from the AHL's leading point producer.

Of the teams noted, it's highly doubtful Lamoriello would make a deal with the Rangers, but he and Chris Drury wouldn't be doing their due diligence if they didn't at least listen.

Nothing is imminent, and it's likely the Isles won't make a final decision on Nelson until next year's deadline. There's also the fact that once Lou sees a rumor, he shuts down all conversation. But it appears that teams are beginning to target the Islanders as sellers, as there are only a few games between now and the deadline.