Are Barclays and Isles Near Deal?

The New York Islanders have another three years left on their Nassau Coliseum lease and there is little hope that Nassau or any other county's politicians --not Suffolk, not Queens-- will commit big bucks to build a new arena for the struggling franchise.

No one knows that better than Bruce Ratner and Brett Yormark. They see the prospect of the Brooklyn Islanders as a way of adding big dates (and a big lease) to the Barclays Center roster of events.

Now, B.D. Gallof of WFAN suggests things may be moving ahead quietly. He tweets, "I have been told its either Brooklyn or gone. Final chapter playing out quietly. Brooklyn or outside bids the direction here for #isles." The NHL would likely require modifications to the basketball-centric arena between now and 2015 but that's a lot less daunting than losing a team in North America's biggest market.