Islanders trade Brock Nelson to Colorado Avalanche
Brock Nelson of the Islanders skates against the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Lou Lamoriello couldn’t risk losing pending unrestricted free agent Brock Nelson for no return.
So once Nelson turned down Lamoriello’s last contract extension offer on Thursday, the Islanders' president/general manager pivoted quickly and traded Nelson to the Avalanche right around midnight ET, about 15 hours before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
The Islanders, who also sent AHL forward William Dufour to Colorado, acquired a first-round selection in 2026 or 2027, a conditional third-round pick in 2028, forward Calum Ritchie (the 27th pick in 2023) and defenseman Oliver Kylington.
Lamoriello then immediately flipped Kylington to the Ducks for future considerations.
The Islanders retained 50% of Nelson’s $6 million cap hit as he completes the final season of a six-year, $36 million deal.
Now the question becomes how many more deals Lamoriello will complete before Friday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. Nelson’s now-former linemate, Kyle Palmieri, also is a pending UFA as he completes a four-year, $20 million deal. Given how strong of a seller’s market this is proving to be, Palmieri also might be worth a first-round pick to another playoff contender, especially if the Islanders again retain salary.
“These guys are professional and they’re men,” captain Anders Lee said. “They’ve handled this very well, from our side.”
There also has been interest around the NHL for other Islanders, including Lee and versatile center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Both have one season remaining on their deals.
The Islanders now have a surplus of healthy defensemen with Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson and Scott Mayfield all back in the lineup. Mayfield or Tony DeAngelo could be of interest around the league.
Yet the Islanders remain only four points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, though that will necessarily change with the Senators hosting the Rangers on Friday night. The Senators currently hold the second wild-card spot but both teams have 67 points,
The Red Wings, Canadiens and Bruins also are ahead of the Islanders, who open a three-game California swing against the Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday night.
So Lamoriello has spent this lead-in to the trade deadline wrestling with conflicting priorities. He is loath to ever do anything to weaken a team with the playoffs still possible, but the Islanders need their organizational depth and future assets restocked.
According to the Avalanche, if the 2026 first-round pick is transferred to the Flyers — subject to terms of a previous trade — or if it is not transferred but is in the top 10, the Avalanche will send their 2027 first-round pick to the Islanders. The Avalanche’s conditional 2028 third-round pick will be sent to the Islanders if the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup this season and Nelson plays in at least 50% of the playoff games.
Yet as valuable as that first-round pick will be to the Islanders, there are very high hopes within the organization about Ritchie’s potential as an impact player.
The 6-3, 190-pound Ritchie will remain with Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League, where he has 14 goals and 53 assists in 41 games, to complete his junior career. But the 20-year-old did skate in seven games with the Avalanche this season, notching one goal.
Scouting reports on Ritchie have noted his on-ice IQ and playmaking ability and potential for being a top-six forward. He also can play a physical game. All of those attributes naturally made him attractive to Lamoriello.
It’s very possible he can come to training camp in September ready to compete for an NHL spot. Those odds likely would become greater if Lamoriello makes more moves on Friday.
Nelson, who will be 34 at the start of next season, had 20 goals and 23 assists while playing all 61 games for the Islanders this season, reaching the 20-goal plateau for the ninth time in 12 seasons. That came in his two-point effort in Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Jets at UBS Arena that turned into a farewell party for Nelson. It was his 901st and last game with the Islanders, moving him past Bob Nystrom for sole possession of fourth place in team history.
“There’s not enough I could say,” coach Patrick Roy said. “He’s been outstanding. He’s been a leader of this team. He came to camp ready to play.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
