Enter Nelson, the best center on the market. He is an elite second-line center whose effectiveness sometimes goes under the radar. Nelson’s all-situation scoring rate has dipped this season, but that is likely a consequence of the Islanders’ disastrous power play.

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.

You knew it the moment that Brock Nelson gave that emotional interview after a win recently: he was going to be traded by the only NHL franchise he's called home in his terrific career. And it happened late Thursday night: the center was dealt by the New York Islanders to the Colorado Avalanche in a blockbuster.