The Capitals have $3.65 million in available cap space, leaving them unable to absorb Nelson’s $6 million cap hit outright. According to Rosner, the Islanders "may be willing to retain some of his cap hit in any trade-deadline deal they make."

The New York Islanders likely won't be making the playoffs this season, and trade rumors have begun to appear linking their star Brock Nelson to five teams.

New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson has become a hot topic on the NHL trade market as chatter heats up everywhere you look. Nelson has been linked to a few

According to industry sources, the Washington Capitals have checked in on New York Islanders ' pending unrestricted free agent forward, Brock Nelson. While any potential team that acquires Nelson would likely want him to extend, given the cost, the Capitals are believed to have no issue with him being a pure rental.

With the NHL trade deadline approaching, New York Islanders center Brock Nelson has become a player drawing serious attention. Ranked No. 1 on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets board, Nelson has several teams that potentially see him as an ideal fit.

As a pending unrestricted free agent with a $6-million cap hit, Nelson is seen as the ideal rental for teams looking to bolster their lineup ahead of the playoffs with the Islanders expected to miss the postseason, thus becoming sellers at the deadline.

The Washington Capitals currently sit atop the NHL standings and hope that success translates to the postseason, and per industry sources, they've looked at New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson as a potential rental option.

Nelson, 33, is a coveted acquisition for contenders looking to add immediate impact down the middle of the ice. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so given the circumstances, Nelson's 12 years on Long Island are likely to come to an end by the March 7 trade deadline.

Welcome to a new featured series of NHL rumors on StadiumRant.com! We will cover the latest rumors around the league, according to sources. With just 44 days until the NHL trade deadline, teams are evaluating their trade options to improve their success.

Nelson received a nifty feed from Mathew Barzal off the rush, before he fired it past Adin Hill's glove to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead against the NHL’s top team in the standings, the Vegas Golden Knights at 5:30 of the second:

Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist and the New York Islanders beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1