If there were no other factors involved, Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena would have been the big story for the Islanders who now find themselves three points out of an Eastern Conference Wild Card spot.
However, the victory was not the headline story because of the emotional nature of the evening.
With the NHL trading deadline coming up on Friday, it could have been the final game as an Islander for Brock Nelson who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
“There’s a lot going on for sure,” said Nelson, who scored a goal in the victory. “I’ve said it and I mean it but I’m just trying to worry about playing hockey even though there’s more that plays into it in terms of a lot of things and the emotions part of it.”
Nelson, named the game’s first star, was visibly emotional with MSG Networks host Shannon Hogan during a post-game interview on the bench. The Islanders’ first-round pick in 2010, who will certainly be enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame at some point in the future, is just waiting to find out what lies ahead this week.
The Islanders will have a few days off before they embark on a west coast trip that begins on Saturday in San Jose.
Will Brock be an Islander or will he be dealt?
At this point, he doesn’t know.
“Not really,” said Nelson. “I’ve had conversations with (President and General Manager) Lou (Lamoriello). I’ve been honest. I really truly have just been worried about here and playing and doing everything we can here to win.”
The Islanders are likely to get a big return if they choose to move Nelson. A package would almost certainly include a first-round pick and one would like to think there could be a prospect included and even a player coming back that could slide right into the Islanders lineup.
The Islanders could roll the dice, keep Nelson, try to make the playoffs and then try to re-sign Nelson in the off-season.
But…the question is have the Islanders shown Lamoriello enough to make a playoff push.
“I hope so,” said Islanders Captain Anders Lee. “I think our biggest problem has been just a little bit of inconsistency. We’ve played some good hockey and at times haven’t gotten the results from that.”
Nelson isn’t the only Islanders player waiting to find out what happens before Friday as forward Kyle Palmieri is due to become an unrestricted free agent as well.
He is another player who could be dealt but knows the end result is out of his hands.
“Decisions have to be made and those decisions are way above my pay grade,” said Palmieri.
“They love this organization,” said Head Coach Patrick Roy when asked about Nelson and Palmieri. “(Brock) did a lot for this franchise. I’m sure it’s a moment that they do not control but at the same time, it’s a business…isn’t it?”
It sure is a business and that’s the difficult thing about the situation. A team is like a family and this is a family that has been through a lot over the years, especially over the last five years including a couple of deep playoff runs.
And while Roy would love to know what his team will look like after Friday, he’s not getting a clear reading from his crystal ball.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen at this moment,” said Roy. “It’s been a little rollercoaster. We win some and we lose some. There are days you want to buy and there’s days you want to sell. It’s ups to Lou to decide whatever he’s going to feel is the right decision for this franchise.”
For Nelson, an Islanders jersey is the only one that he has worn during his NHL career. He has 295 goals and 279 assists for 574 points over 901 regular season games. Throw in 27 goals and 23 assists for 50 points over 78 career playoff games and it’s clear that Nelson will go down as an all-time great Islander whether he is traded or not.
He loves being an Islander and being a part of the Long Island community.
“It means a lot,” said Nelson. “This is a prideful group of guys in the room right now, the guys who have worn it before us, the history, the legends. You see how much it means to the fan base. Whether it’s gameday here at UBS and think back to the Coliseum…the electricity there…and then just day to day life. Having a family and getting involved in different things and seeing the support that you get from everybody outside is special.”
For Islanders fans, it would be tough to see Brock Nelson wearing another jersey given what he has meant to this team over the years. But, sometimes a team has to do what is in their best interests and in this case, the Islanders need to start thinking about re-tooling for the future.
And what’s to say that even if they trade Brock this week that he doesn’t come back as a free agent during the off-season?
The trading deadline may not be the end of the story for Brock Nelson and the Islanders.