The Washington Capitals have seen themselves linked with another rental forward ahead of the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline.
Per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner, the Capitals have “checked in” with the New York Islanders about pending unrestricted free agent Brock Nelson. The report comes after Washington was linked to Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde last week.
Nelson has been an Islanders lifer since the club used a first-round draft selection on him in 2010. The 33-year-old forward has been an alternate captain with the club for the last five years and is in the final season of the six-year, $36 million contract extension he signed with New York in 2019.
The Islanders will likely be forced into seller mode at this year’s deadline as they currently have the second-worst record, 19-20-7, in the Eastern Conference after 46 games. They currently sit eighth in the Metropolitan Division and are seven points out of a wild card playoff position.
Nelson will be at the top of many teams’ target lists due to his positional flexibility, defensive responsibility, and goal-scoring track record. He has scored at least 34 goals in each of the last three seasons and has 28 points (13g, 15a) in 46 games for the Islanders this year.
The University of North Dakota product plays center and wing and is one of New York’s top penalty-killing forwards, averaging 1:08 of shorthanded ice time per game. He holds a $6 million cap hit, meaning the Islanders would either need to retain a portion of his salary or take back a contract from the Capitals to make any trade work. He also has a 16-team no-trade list.
Nelson was named to Team USA’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The Minnesota native has previously represented the USA at the World Junior Championship (2011) and five different World Championships (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024).
