Islanders’ Brock Nelson Still Undecided On Extension

Islanders forward and top trade deadline candidate Brock Nelson remains interested in an extension with New York but was otherwise noncommittal when asked about the subject by Ethan Sears of the New York Post on Tuesday following practice with Team USA ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into [a contract decision],” Nelson said. “I know everybody kind of wants an answer right now. That’s not how the world works. You don’t always get what you want.”

Nelson said that the opportunity retire an Islander, which could result in him becoming the franchise’s all-time games played leader, will be a factor. “Only knowing Long Island, only being an Islander, knowing how much history the team has and the legends that have played there before and what they’ve done plays into it as well.”

Sears references a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on yesterday’s 32 Thoughts podcast that Nelson’s agent, Octagon’s Ben Hankinson, will continue talks with general manager Lou Lamoriello during this month’s downtime while Nelson represents his country. Sources told RG.org last week that the Isles and Nelson had “option for a three-year extension” with a raise over his current $6MM AAV, but a separate report in the same article that the Islanders were beginning to shop around Noah Dobson was scaled back by Friedman yesterday.

Nelson, 33, is undeniably the top center available on the rental market after the Stars snagged Mikael Granlund from the Sharks last month. He’d help the Islanders recoup at least a first-round pick, something they need (even in a weaker 2025 draft) to continue restocking a prospect pool that ranks near the bottom of the league. He’s got 17-18–35 through 55 games, though, down from his 70-point pace over the past couple of years. His 11.6% shooting rate is shy of his career average, but there’s legitimate concern about his aging curve making any multi-year commitment with a raise attached age poorly and inhibit any retooling efforts on Long Island.

The 2010 first-round pick has suited up in 895 regular-season games for the Isles, fifth in franchise history and 228 back of Bryan Trottier for the franchise record. A three-year deal, assuming he stays overwhelming healthy, would get him across the finish line.

But while Nelson has denied speculation recently that him signing with his hometown Wild this summer was all but a formality, the opportunity to join a team deeper into a championship contention window – and one with the superstar scoring talent the Islanders lack – may be too much to turn down. Nelson ranks 13th in Islanders franchise history with 50 points in 78 career postseason appearances, including back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021.