The best fit for Brock Nelson is the Minnesota Wild. While the Islanders won't be able to get a 2025 first-round pick in the deal, they could pull away a defensive prospect that would help them. The Wild would get better by making this deal, could re-sign him this offseason, and sell the “hometown kid” aspect of the deal.

This happens in the NHL too, though the players often have little agency when it comes to how they'll leave that negative work environment and when. Some of the prospects we'll look at here are in that situation.