Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
A dynamic player that John Tavares should be familiar with during his time with the New York Islanders, Brock Nelson could be a huge addition to the Leafs if they want to target a center with elite scoring potential.
After all, the former first-round pick from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft had put together his best two seasons of his career in the last two years, recording back-to-back 34+ goals and 69+ points seasons.
But even prior to that, Nelson had been consistently reliable for the most part in putting up 20+ goals and 40+ points per season since 2014-15. Having spent some time with Tavares as his teammate for four seasons between 2013 to 2017, he certainly learned from one of the best in growing into his role as a premium centreman in the league.
Now currently a top power play and penalty specialist with the Islanders, Nelson can definitely do it all in terms his contributions to the team as a whole.
Currently this season, Nelson is on pace for another 30+ goals and 50+ points campaign. But with the Islanders off to a slow start for the 2024-25 season, Nelson has seen his name suddenly surface in the trade market in recent weeks.
But with a $6 million annual salary cap hit, the Leafs will need to do a little more work to fit him in comfortably, with Toronto likely to lose a draft pick or two plus a potential high-end prospect to get it done. Nevertheless, with the chance to reunite him with Tavares on the same team once again, it is an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up.