Stefen Rosner On Islanders' Marcus Hogberg Dilemma With the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline on the horizon, the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/toronto-maple-leafs-nick-kypreos-new-york-islanders-scott-mayfield-trade-nhl] sit on the outskirts of playoff contention. As the Islanders scuffle, the Spittin' Chiclets podcast spoke on Tuesday's podcast that the Minnesota Wild have an interest in acquiring forward Brock Nelson. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7seBNq5vOM[/embed] "Not surprised at all, he's on Team USA for Four Nations," host Ryan Whitney said. "Billy Guerin is picking that team. A versatile forward the last three years...over 30 goals all three years. I don't think he's going to hit it this year, only has 12 right now, but I think there's going to be a ton of teams looking at Brock Nelson. "He can skate, he can kill penalties, and he could play in the power play. He could play up and down the lineup. I just said that, but I totally get the Wild being interested." The speculation was first reported by Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli in his Trade Targets board last week [https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/islanders-brock-nelson-leads-first-trade-targets-board-of-2025], with Nelson being the top target. Nelson remains in the final year of his contract with the Islanders but has had a down year. Despite tallying only 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in 40 games, co-host Paul Bissonette spoke highly of what Nelson can bring to a team. In addition to discussing his three seasons of at least 30 goals, he says Minnesota may not be the only team bidding for his services. “I thought it was pretty much a shoe-in for him to go to Minnesota, based on what I was hearing or reading. And I talked to another guy who's a member of another organization, and he said, ‘Not so fast’ and they're trying to also get him,” Biz said. "There's so many teams out there looking to add at that center ice position. So, he becomes such a valuable piece, and as we get near the deadline, I think you're going to see a little bit of overpayment, which is obviously not a bad thing for the New York Islanders." New York enters play on Thursday seven points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but just two points up on Buffalo for last place in the conference. With less than two months to go before the Deadline, the Islanders' status is still to be determined. However, should the Islanders continue to struggle, rumors like these will continue to emerge
