gnome-extra/nm-applet also works with x11-misc/trayer if one doesn't want to install gnome-panel or xfce-panel. x11-misc/trayer should be added to the possible DEPEND's Please check out attached patch and consider applying.
Created attachment 184853 [details] fix dependencies
*nm-applet-0.7.1 (22 Apr 2009) 22 Apr 2009; Robert Buchholz <rbu@gentoo.org> +files/nm-applet-0.7.1-confchanges.patch, -nm-applet-0.6.5.ebuild, nm-applet-0.6.6.ebuild, nm-applet-0.7.0.ebuild, +nm-applet-0.7.1.ebuild: Version bump by Robert Piasek (bug #266182). Add hard dependency on NetworkManager major (bug #266731), add x11-misc/trayer as possible panel dependency (bug #262323), remove libgnomeui dependency (bug #254128).