Brock Nelson’s first phone call with Barry Trotz would mark the turning point of his career.
It was summer 2018 and Trotz – who had just been hired as coach of the New York Islanders – flew down to Los Angeles and joined GM Lou Lamoriello for a last-ditch attempt to convince John Tavares to re-sign on Long Island. While hunkered down at the Beverley Wilshire Hotel, Trotz made introductory calls to players. When it came time to give Nelson a call, Trotz got the chance to tell him something that had been on his mind since long before he was hired by New York.
“Before you tell me what you feel about your game, from an outsider, you look like a guy who can put up points and make plays,” Trotz said he told Nelson. “I see your skill level. You look uncomfortable in the role that you were in last year as a third-line center, and I think you can play higher in the lineup.”
That vote of confidence meant a great deal to Nelson.
“It was something I had thought about. As a player, I wanted to do more by helping the team offensively and taking a bigger step,” Nelson said on Monday.
Through his first five NHL seasons, Nelson produced some shiny point totals – producing around 20 goals per season throughout 398 career games, including a career-high of 26 in 2015-16. But he struggled to carve out an identity.
“Some people probably labelled it inconsistency, which is funny because if you’re bouncing around, obviously, you’re getting different looks,” Nelson said.
Aside from spending some time on Tavares’ wing, the 6-foot-4 forward was predominantly deployed in the bottom six alongside meat-and-potato grinders. The Islanders wanted Nelson to be a physical shutdown center.
“For some players, that’s not their game, and it doesn’t come naturally,” Trotz told The Hockey News. “When I really started to dissect the player, I just felt that he was a way better player than I even realized.”
Trotz’s gut feeling was bang on. Since that phone call, Nelson quietly ascended as one of the NHL’s best-kept secrets. He’s become one of the team’s best scorers with 20 points through 21 games this season. He weaponizes some of that third-line toughness when matching up against opponents’ best players, and his renowned competitiveness has him continuously working to maintain consistency.
“He literally has every tool,” said Islanders forward Mathew Barzal. “I think his skating goes unnoticed. You watch him and he gets to places so quick. He’s fast. And he’s got a wicked shot. He can score on a one-timer, on a wrist shot, net front, on a tip – he can score in so many different ways.”
| Nelson’s Role | Points per Game |
|---|---|
|
Before John Tavares’ departure (398 GP) |
0.47 |
|
After John Tavares’ departure (299 GP) |
0.73 |
Since the 2018-19 season – Trotz’s first year behind the New York bench and the Islanders’ first season without Tavares – Nelson has scored at a 31-goal pace. And he’s gotten better as the years went on.
“He has a ton of deception when it comes to attacking defensemen,” Islanders forward Anders Lee said. “He can find the lane in tight spots, and he’s got an eye for seeing where that open part of the goalie is and placing that puck there.”
After scoring a career-high 37 goals last year, Nelson has nine goals through 21 games this year – putting him on pace for 35 goals this season. Better yet, Nelson’s 1.44 goals per 60 minutes since the 2021-22 season puts him in the 97th percentile of all players that have played a minimum of 700 minutes.
That uptick in goal scoring stems from, once again, some belief from Trotz – who told Nelson heading into last season that he needed to weaponize his shot.
“I think last year, there was just another conversation about opportunity,” Nelson said. “I got moved to the wall on the power play, which obviously opens up some different looks and a couple more shots and opportunities to score.”
Once again, Nelson answered the challenge. He’s been producing a higher volume of shots, chances and attempts on the power play and in all situations as well.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Even as his offensive output has progressed, Nelson has still leaned on the facets of his game that led previous coaches to try to mold him as a shutdown center. The difference, though, is that he’s become comfortable using his body.
“Size is one thing. But size with skill and skating ability is another, and I think he’s one of those guys that is able to put it all together,” said Islanders forward Matt Martin. “He’s a big load to handle for anybody when he’s carrying the puck up the ice and making plays.”
Trotz and the Islanders’ current coach, Lane Lambert, continue to deploy Nelson in matchup roles. And it’s something he’s embraced.
“He loved when I matched him against the big boys – like (Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid) – which I did on a regular basis,” Trotz said. “And that’s because of the competitiveness. I think he probably surprised a lot of these visiting coaching staffs and, in the first year that I was there, they saw a big uptick in his play.”
That competitiveness, coupled with his growing confidence, have been two of the main ingredients in his evolution as a player.
Sitting second in the Metropolitan Division – ahead of the Cup-contending Carolina Hurricanes and last year’s conference finalists, the New York Rangers – the Islanders look to bounce back from missing the playoffs last season.
Nelson will continue to be relied on to keep up his evolution into a top-six role as the Islanders continue to push. If the past few seasons were an indication of what’s to come, he shouldn’t have an issue.
“A lot of times, you hear coaches say, ‘I’m going to give this guy a bigger role,’ but the player doesn’t really grasp it,” Trotz said. “He did. He grasped it right away. He ran with it.”
