NHL Trade Rumors: Pierre LeBrun claims Stanley Cup contenders eyeing $36,000,000 center

With the trade deadline set on March 7, teams are preparing for important moves. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun has suggested that Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders is a name drawing attention. His consistent performance makes him a valuable target for Stanley Cup contenders. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently highlighted the Dallas Stars as a team to watch.

The Stars have not yet placed Tyler Seguin on long-term injured reserve. This decision delays freeing up his $9.85 million cap hit, giving the team more flexibility later. LeBrun explained that Dallas plans to wait.

"When they do park his $9.85 million cap hit, they’ll be one of the more dangerous Cup contenders to monitor ahead of the March 7 trade deadline," LeBrun wrote on Wednesday.

Brock Nelson, the Islanders center, is one of the players the Stars might pursue. He is signed to a six-year $36 million contract with a $6 million cap hit per season.

"There’s interest in Brock Nelson, but it’s not clear yet if the New York Islanders will move him," LeBrun wrote. "Either way, we can expect the Stars to potentially be involved in more than one transaction before the deadline."

Nelson has performed well this season, with 12 goals and 13 assists in 43 games.

Pierre LeBrun talked about Dallas Stars' GM Jim Nill's approach

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill is known for being aggressive at trade deadlines. With their extra cap space, the Stars could make multiple impactful moves.

"GM Jim Nill is never shy to be aggressive at the deadline, and now he’s going to have ample cap money to play with," LeBrun wrote. "That should be a concern to every Western Conference contender."

In his NHL career, Nelson has scored 287 goals and 269 assists in 883 games. Adding Nelson would be a big boost to Dallas’ offense.

Pierre LeBrun talked about the Dallas Stars' potential moves

Talking about the delay in Dallas Stars' moves, Pierre LeBrun suggested that it will allow the team to reassess its needs and target the best players. The Stars could add a top-six forward, a top-four defenseman or even both with their extra cap space.

"They are making their calls right now, but the plan is to be patient and wait until after the 4 Nations event to decide where to act," LeBrun wrote. "The idea is to see if more injuries change their needs. The Stars could add both a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman, potentially, with all that cap flexibility."

LeBrun also said that the Dallas Stars might even add two forwards to strengthen their roster.