Nelson and the Islanders agreed to a three-year, .5 million extension late Wednesday night, hours before a team-imposed deadline would have kept the 23-year old forward off the ice for the entire 2015-16 season. It’s been awhile since the sides have talked.
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The New York Islanders and GM Garth Snow reportedly made Brock Nelson at least one long-term contract offer over the last year, for a term of seven years.
“We haven’t heard from them in six weeks”, agent Ron Salcer told Newsday earlier in the week.
We haven’t heard from them in six weeks. Garth said he’d get back to me and that was it. No negotiations whatsoever. Players reported for physicals Thursday morning and will have their first training camp session on Friday.
Nelson was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, of the 2010 National Hockey League Draft.
Nelson rejected his qualifying offer back in July and apparently a two-year deal as well – his agent claimed the offers were “nowhere near commensurate” to comparable deals.
Especially since the Islanders have been in situations like this before and always seem to be able to reach a deal at the last minute.
Nelson finished last season with 20 goals and 42 points, but disappeared over a 50-game stretch, scoring just five goals.
Considering Islanders owner Charles Wang’s ridiculous rule about players unsigned by the outset of training camp sitting out the entirety of the year, it seems there is something of a deadline here for Salcer and Snow.
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As a restricted free agent, Nelson would still be eligible to sign an offer sheet from another team if they were interested in pursuing him (and given his age, production and talent, plenty of teams should have interest).
