Islanders forward Brock Nelson is quietly a top-25 goal-scorer in the NHL. He's eligible for a contract extension in July, as is former teammate John Tavares, who has 10 fewer points.

The New York Islanders are focused on securing a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. However, management will soon face a decision regarding Brock Nelson's future on Long Island.

Nelson has spent his entire 11-year NHL career with the Islanders. The 32-year-old center is among their most reliable scorers, poised to reach the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season.

What Nelson gets on his next contract could also affect Toronto Maple Leafs captain (and former Islander) John Tavares. Both players have a year remaining on their contracts. They each had the same number of goals in 2022-23 (36), but Nelson has more goals (29) than Tavares (20) this season.

Nelson and the Islanders can begin extension talks on July 1. 

Stefen Rosner believed the Islanders were getting calls about Nelson before the NHL trade deadline. While they opted to hang onto him, that interest could rise again if contract extension talks prove difficult.

The New York Post's Ethan Sears believes it will be challenging to re-sign the veteran center to a fair deal without overpaying him.

Nelson will be 33 next summer. Players his age usually don't get long-term deals. Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello could offer a three-year extension with a $1.5-million raise over his current annual average value of $6 million. Nelson, however, could prefer five years for more money.

Lamoriello could also gauge the trade market on Nelson leading up to the NHL draft in late June to capitalize on moving him while potential suitors are flush with cap space. However, his 16-team no-trade clause would limit the number of suitable trade partners.

The Islanders also have to negotiate extensions with several notable players. Like Nelson, winger Kyle Palmieri is a year away from UFA eligibility. Defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov are RFAs with arbitration rights next summer. 

As for the Maple Leafs, they not only have Tavares' contract that expires after next season but Mitch Marner's as well. The rest of this season could have a notable effect on extension talks with both players, but particularly Tavares, who will be 35 in two seasons and currently has an $11-million cap hit. If Nelson has to settle for less with the Islanders, Tavares may have to accept a larger decrease in salary than expected to stay with the Maple Leafs.