Russell’s Roundup: Isles Win Again; Nelson Chatter Looms

The New York Islanders defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets last night in UBS Arena 3-1, adding to the unpredictability this team has brought to this season. In the last seven games, the Islanders have gone 5-2-0. That features an inspiring 3-0-0 road trip with wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and the Boston Bruins.

However, the Islanders lost a lot of the air out of their balloons by getting shut out by the Ottawa Senators, and that was followed up by having the Philadelphia Flyers blow the doors off on Thursday.

Then, Brent Sutter had his Hall of Fame night and told the team to enjoy every second of being an Islander. Since then, the Islanders have outscored their opponents 7-2 and are 2-0-0, with last night’s victory over Columbus feeling like a particularly major statement.

The underbelly of this newfound optimism contains some harsh truths. Even with the wins, the Islanders are still in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, seven points outside of a playoff spot.

More pertinently, Brock Nelson rumors and stories are popping up almost daily at this point. Nelson’s future is murky at best, with the consensus of insiders seemingly heavily leaning toward Brock being his way out of the franchise.

Elsewhere in the NHL, J.T. Miller almost got traded, Connor McDavid was suspended for three games, and catch up around the league after an eventful Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the NHL.

New York Islanders:

The Islanders beat the Blue Jackets last night behind a pair of Bo Horvat goals and another dominant second period.

The mood in the Islanders room could be described as happy but not satisfied. The group knows exactly where they are. Despite any optimism, they know exactly where they sit. Plus, Simon Holmstrom chatted 1-on-1.

Nelson is the potential headline act for this upcoming trade deadline. That’s not just for the Islanders, that’s for the entire NHL. So, what does a top-six center with playoff pedigree and versatility go for these days? Frank Seravalli thinks it could be a haul. 

NHL Trade Rumors, News, and National Hockey Now:

Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins, currently in relative free fall, found a way to beat a pesky Sharks team that wouldn’t say die, even after a third-period deficit.

San Jose Hockey Now: For the Sharks side, the great Sheng Peng told an amazing story. Will Smith, a top player for the baby Sharks, is a native of Massachusetts. Yesterday, he played against his childhood team and Sheng told the story of how Will Smith got here today.

Philly Hockey Now: After Maxim Tsyplakov injured Ryan Poehling last week, the Flyers have had to make some roster moves. Here’s the scoop from practice in Philly.

NHL.com: Connor McDavid, arguably the best player active today, got suspended for three games. He earned every game of it, too. Here’s the full scoop from the league.

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman released his 32 Thoughts podcast this week, which discussed not only the Connor McDavid situation but also a potential J.T. Miller trade to the New York Rangers that fell through this weekend.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins found their groove in LA. The Penguins seized control early, and never relinquished that control.