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 head vs. heart calculus which has tugged at the Islanders’ decision-making, or lack thereof, over the last month finally hit an inflection point.

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.