Brock Nelson has been one of the New York Islanders’ best players in recent seasons. He continuously finds the scoresheet, scores key goals, and drives offense from a line that would be nothing without him. He has been an alternate captain since the 2020-21 season and is one of the most underrated players in the league. Now entering the final season under his contract, what should Islanders fans expect his next one to look like?
Assessing Nelson’s Skills
Nelson is coming off a 34-goal, 69-point performance where he played in all 82 games. This was his third straight season scoring 30 goals, and his eighth time in the past nine seasons where he scored at or above a 20-goal pace. He is the Islanders’ offense, and he finds ways to drive offense from all over the ice.
He is best known for his blistering wrist shot. It is fast, smooth, and feels as if it can go in from anywhere on the ice. He uses his silky hands to go above the goaltender’s pads, but also to make sweet passes across the ice. He helped the Islanders’ improve the powerplay and second line this season by utilizing his threat to create scoring chances for his linemates. He has improved his skating and used it as a tool to grab the attention of defenders to open the ice for linemates, and this has especially paid dividends for his season-long linemate, Kyle Palmieri.
Palmieri tied his career high of 30 goals, and Nelson had the second most assists of his career in a season with 35. The two showed their chemistry each shift, and that will be a massive bright spot moving forward. They spent 563.5 minutes together on a line alongside Piere Engvall and spent over 800 minutes together overall this season. In addition to his 69 points, the Engvall, Nelson, and Palmieri line, according to Moneypuck, had a 55.3 expected goals percentage, the fifth best of any line in the NHL with over 500 minutes together. They shut down top opponents and drove consistent offense, providing stability to a team that did not know what that word meant this season.
Contract Comparables
Nelson is in a unique position moving forward. His current contract is a six-year, $6 million average annual value (AAV) deal, a great contract given his production. At the time of signing, he was coming off a 19-goal season, which was the last time he scored at a below 20-goal pace. It is easy to say he is due for a pay raise, but given his age, is that in the cards?
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