Islanders trade Brock Nelson, but rest of core remains intact
Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders skates against the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Brock Nelson practiced with the Avalanche in Denver on Friday. Perhaps surprisingly, no other key members of his former team were missing from the Islanders’ practice at Sharks Ice.
President/general manager Lou Lamoriello did not trade fellow forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee although teams inquired about them, with the Hurricanes believed to have made a strong offer for Pageau. Plus, the expectation is that pending unrestricted free agent Kyle Palmieri soon will sign a contract extension expected to be for two or three seasons at an annual average value just slightly less than his current $5 million salary-cap hit.
Lamoriello’s only other deal before Friday’s NHL trade deadline was sending seldom-used defenseman Dennis Cholowski to the Devils for minor-league forward Adam Beckman, who will report to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
The Islanders will open a three-game California swing against the Sharks on Saturday night at SAP Center still hoping to make a long-shot playoff push.
“A stressful week,” said Palmieri, who grew up in Smithtown and is completing a four-year, $20 million deal. “Ultimately my focus hasn’t changed. I want to be here and I want to be fighting for a playoff spot with these guys. It’s actually a lot easier when you’re playing games. The last couple of days and waiting and hanging out here were tough.”
The Islanders flew to the West Coast on Wednesday but did not practice on Thursday. Palmieri said he learned early Friday morning that he would not be traded.
Nelson, a pending UFA completing a six-year, $36 million deal, had rejected Lamoriello’s final contract offer — believed to be for three years at $7.5 million per season — and was traded to the Avalanche along with forward prospect William Dufour late Thursday night for a healthy haul of a first-round pick in either 2026 or 2027, a conditional third-round pick in 2028, junior hockey forward Calum Ritchie (the 27th pick in 2023) and defenseman Oliver Kylington, who immediately was flipped to the Ducks for future considerations.
“Little bit of a whirlwind,” Nelson, fourth on the Islanders’ all-time list with 901 games played, told the media after his first practice with his new team. “A lot of emotions, but it was nice to get out there and play.”
The Islanders had a team dinner on Thursday that served as a farewell party for Nelson once it became clear he would be traded.
“You should have asked me the same question last night,” coach Patrick Roy said after practice when asked about his emotions when he learned of Nelson’s trade. “But today I’m good. It’s always tough to see a guy like him leave, but it’s a business. Right now, we have to find a way to rally and have a good push and find a way to surprise everybody.”
The Islanders selected Nelson 30th overall in 2010 and he came up alongside many still in the organization such as Lee and Casey Cizikas as well as defensemen Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield.
“It’s not easy,” Cizikas said. “It’s the business we’re in. It’s kind of the crappy part of what we do. We’ve been together for 12, 13 years. Pretty much grew up together. Our sons play on the same team. They’ve grown up together. You go through deadlines all the time and you understand the direction you’re heading in going into it. But I think this one is kind of different.”
“On a personal level, it’s just weird,” Lee said. “We spent a lot of time together. A lot of great time and shared a lot of great experiences and grew up together in many ways. We started families at the same time. You can’t prepare for how you’re going to feel about it. You just have this hope that everything will work out.”
Notes & quotes: Goalie Marcus Hogberg (upper body/injured reserve) practiced with the team for the first time since getting hurt on Jan. 25. “I don’t know where that puts him, but the fact that he was on the ice was a good sign,” Roy said . . . Forward Matt Martin (lower body/IR) and defenseman Mike Reilly (heart condition/ long-term injured reserve) continued to practice with the Islanders . . . Goalie Ilya Sorokin is expected to make his 32nd start in the last 38 games on Saturday.
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.
