Of the four big-name Islanders who could become free agents on July 1, none stood to cash in bigger than Brock Nelson. Perhaps that’s a surprise, given that captain and recent 40-goal scorer Anders Lee, perennial 50-point scorer Jordan Eberle and Vezina finalist Robin Lehner are the other three. But a combination of factors meant that the 27-year-old Nelson would have been in the best position to find a long-term deal on the open market.



Fortunately for Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders, Nelson had no such interest. So the process from initial contract talks between Ben Hankinson, Nelson’s agent, and Lamoriello moved quickly in the last few weeks from start to Thursday’s finish, with Nelson signing a six-year deal that carries a $6-million cap hit per season.



“It was a no-brainer to do this and not let it drag on,” Nelson said in a phone conversation on Thursday as he and his wife, Karley, went house-hunting on Long Island. They flew in...