The market is set for NY Islanders' forward Brock Nelson after the Dallas Stars acquire Mikael Granlund

The market is set for Brock Nelson

San Jose Sharks v New York Islanders
San Jose Sharks v New York Islanders | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

The dominoes are beginning to fall as teams are moving on from some of the top trade targets ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off which begins on Feb. 12.

Today, the Dallas Stars acquired center Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks for a first-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick (becomes a third-round pick if the Stars reach the finals), and JT Miller was shipped back to the NY Rangers in a package surrounding Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini.

The center market is set for centers after Granlund trade

The Miller situation in Vancouver makes this a more unique scenario, but Granlund is in a similar boat to Brock Nelson, both set to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Dallas was always a potential landing spot after losing Tyler Seguin for the season, but it Jim Nill and company decided to look elsewhere.

Despite the NY Islanders' current run of form, winning six straight games, Nelson remains one of the most desired trade targets across the NHL. But now, the market has been set for centers.

So if the Sharks can get a first and fourth-round pick for Granlund, what can Lou Lamoriello get in return for Nelson?

While Granlund is an incredibly capable top-6 center, he does not have the track record or repertoire of Nelson.

Granlund is currently having one of the best seasons of his career at 32 years old. He's tallied 15 goals and 30 assists through 52 games for one of the league's worst teams. In fact, Granlund is having a more productive season than Nelson, who has 15 goals and 17 assists through 50 games.

Still, Nelson remains one of, if not the most sought-after targets at the deadline. Scoring 30+ goals in each of the last three seasons, Nelson has picked up the pace over the last 10 games, looking more like his normal self.

A first-round pick, a high-end prospect, and a roster player would be an acceptable return, but the biggest question remains if he'll be dealt if the Islanders continue this run of form. With the trade deadline on March 7 and the 4 Nations break lasting two weeks, time is ticking for the Islanders to make a decision.

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