Detroit Red Wings
Powered by Roundtable
Caleb Kerney·Feb 26, 2025·Partner

Red Wings Trade Targets: Brock Nelson

Brock Nelson (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)Brock Nelson (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)

It’s like Christmas in…March.

Detroit Red Wings fans only have to wait until March 7th for the Trade Deadline. Things have gotten complicated for the team since the Ville Husso trade and Andrew Copp's injury.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest newsgame-day coverage, and player features

So, leading up to the Trade Deadline, we will look at players on any of the major trade boards (The Athletic, Daily Faceoff, The Fourth Period) and assess how good of a fit each player is for the Red Wings.

Kicking off this series, we will look at Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders.

Brock Nelson

Trade Board Ranking: 1 (The Athletic), 1 (Daily Faceoff), 2 (The Fourth Period)

Contract: $6 million (Expiring contract)

Position: Center

Age: 33 years old

Shoots: Left

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 212 lbs

Stat Line: 57 GP, 17 G, 20 A, 37 PTS, 19:14 TOI, 52.9 FO%

Related Red Wings Stories

What they are saying:

The Islanders are currently on a four-game losing streak and falling out of the playoff picture quickly. With 57 points in 57 games, they are seven points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nelson has been with the Islanders his entire career. Even though he is in the final year of his contract, there is no sign of a contract extension.

What does he bring to the table?

Nelson is a reliable offensive contributor and solid defensively. Although he is on pace for his worst offensive season since 2020-21, he’s on pace for 50+ points. He is picking up steam, with four points in his last three games.

This season, he is doing well in the faceoff circle with a 52.9 percent success rate. Nelson’s most common linemates have been Kyle Palmieri and Maxim Tsyplakov.

Is he a fit for the Red Wings?

The short answer is no. Nelson is older (33 years old) and has an expiring contract. If the Red Wings think they have a good chance to extend him after trading for him, that might make a trade more sensible.

He would be an appealing option if he were younger with more term. He’s an excellent second-line center with a good two-way game that would be welcomed in Detroit.

Do you think Nelson would be a good fit for the Red Wings? Let us know by commenting on the story or voting in the poll. We would love to hear from you!

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

1
5