New York Islanders Trade Brock Nelson To Colorado Avalanche
In the dead of night, a long-rumored trade finally occurred. The New York Islanders traded forwards William Dufour and Brock Nelson (50% salary retained) to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington and conditional first and third-round picks. Kylington was quickly flipped to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.
Nelson’s 12-year run as an Islander is over.
Ritchie, the centerpiece of the trade for the Islanders, is a 2023 first-round pick of the Avalanche. He played a brief seven-game stint with the Avs earlier this season.
In that run, he scored his first (and only) NHL goal against the Islanders. At only 20 years old, most pundits considered Ritchie the best prospect in the Avalanche system.
Ritchie immediately joins Cole Eiserman atop the Islanders’ prospect pool, alongside forward Danny Nelson. Scouting pundit Nick Richard describes Ritchie as a “potential top-six NHL forward who can drive offense.” Ritchie could crack the lineup as early as next season.
Concerning the draft selections, the first-round pick will be awarded to the Islanders in either 2026 or 2027. If Colorado’s first is in the top ten in 2026, the Islanders will be awarded the Avs’ 2027 first. The 2028 third-round pick will only be awarded if the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup this season and Nelson plays in at least 50% of Colorado’s playoff games.
The haul for Nelson proved to be big, as the Islanders a top pick and a top prospect. So far, the 2025 trade deadline has favored sellers, and this trade has completely reset the market for centers such as Nelson. It may be tough for Islanders fans to see Nelson leave, but they got more than enough back in return for the fan-favorite.
Nelson will join former Islander defenseman Devon Toews on the Avalanche roster as he pursues his first Stanley Cup.
Featured image courtesy of Dennis Schneidler/Imagn Images
Joey McAuliffe is a passionate Islander fan pursuing a Masters of Accounting in Buffalo, NY. His favorite player of all time is Jordan Eberle. He has followed the team closely since 2014, but he began regularly attending games during the 2006 season. Outside of hockey, Joey loves music and the Buffalo Bills.
