Islanders Forward Opens Up About Contract Situation

The New York Islanders and a key veteran forward would love to see their relationship continue.

Jan 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) takes a shot against Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) during first period at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders have found themselves at the center of attention as the 4 Nations Face-Off break arrives, and a lot of the focus is on one key forward. Trade speculation has risen around 12-year Islanders veteran Brock Nelson, who is in the final year of his contract and gaining quite a bit of attention from other teams.

While plenty of organizations around the NHL have gotten in touch with the Islanders regarding Nelson, that doesn’t mean a trade is certain. Nelson spoke about the recent speculations ahead of representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“I think everything will work itself out,” Nelson said. “Lou [Lamoriello] and I have a great relationship, and there's definitely time still. So I said, I know there's a lot of speculation from outside and different things, and people have already decided for me a couple of times what's going to happen. It's all outside noise, and we'll handle everything, and everything will sort itself out.”

Ideally, Nelson would like to sign an extension with the Islanders and likely stay on Long Island for the duration of his career. At 33 years old, Nelson likely doesn’t have too many contract negotiations left ahead of him.

“I want what's best for me, my family, my team, and everything,” Nelson said. “There are a lot of factors that go into it. Everything will sort itself out. Like I said, Lou's a great guy. I love playing for him. He's a great man, he's done a lot for me, and he gave me a great opportunity.”

Nelson told RG exclusively that he would ideally finish his career with the Islanders, understanding what kind of impact that would have on his legacy with the organization.

“Finishing my career with the Islanders would be special,” Nelson told RG.

With 895 games under his belt, Nelson has not only never won the Stanley Cup, but the Islanders have rarely made deep playoff runs. General manager Lamoriello has his sights set on winning and doing it quickly.

“Lou wants to win,” Nelson said. “He wants to win right now.”

Reports have indicated that a contract extension is more likely than a trade at this point for Nelson. There is sure to still be speculation on a move until pen is put to paper, but Nelson’s intentions seem clear he wants to stay on Long Island.

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