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Avalanche Among Teams Showing 'Interest' in Islanders' Brock Nelson

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Mar 6, 2025 10:00 AM ET

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Colorado Avalanche are among several teams monitoring Brock Nelson’s situation with the New York Islanders.

While it remains uncertain whether the Islanders will move their longtime center, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Colorado, Minnesota, Winnipeg, New Jersey, and Toronto are among the teams "interested" in the veteran center.

“Brock Nelson situation still in flux. No guarantee still that Lou Lamoriello trades him, although that seems to be developing as most likely option,” LeBrun reported.

Nelson scored a goal for the Islanders on Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in what might have been his last game with the franchise. After the game, Nelson gave a very candid and emotional interview, admitting New York's team means "everything" to him.

“Everything. I mean, all of it,” Nelson said. “I think it’s a great place, great fans. Yeah.”

Brock Nelson situation still in flux. No guarantee still that Lou Lamoriello trades him although that seems to be developing as most likely option.
Minnesota, Winnipeg, New Jersey, Colorado, Toronto among long list of teams with interest. But there are others.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 6, 2025

Nelson, 33, is in the final season of his 6-year, $36-million contract and carries a $6 million cap hit. He has remained a consistent offensive performer, recording 20 goals and 23 assists in 61 games this season.

If made available by the Islanders, he will be one of the top players, let alone centers, on the market.

Colorado, looking for an upgrade at second-line center, could add Nelson to the team's forward rotation and get a boost in playoff experience after losing Mikko Rantanen in a three-team trade last January.

The Avalanche leads the Western Conference wild-card race with a 36-24-2 record and 74 points, seven more than second-place Calgary, but could benefit from such an addition and has the cap flexibility to acquire him without needing a third-party broker.

Thanks to Gabriel Landeskog's improbable return this season, which allows the Avs to keep his $7 million cap hit in the long-term injured reserve pool, Colorado will have more than $12 million of cap space by Friday's deadline.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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