DENVER, Colo. — Devon Toews has gone up against Brock Nelson in practice when they were teammates on the Islanders for two seasons. He’s faced him as an opponent, too. Monday’s 1-0 Avalanche overtime win at Ball Arena was the fourth game the defenseman has played against his former club.
So Toews has as keen a perspective as probably anyone on just how difficult it is to defend against the 31-year-old center. Nelson is leading the Islanders with 33 points in 33 games and is on pace to shatter his previous career high of 59, set last season. Entering Monday night, Nelson was one of 41 NHL players averaging at least a point per game.
“He’s very rangy, skates really well from what people think he can do for the size he has,” Toews said of the 6-foot-4 Nelson. “Very good stick skills. He knows how to find a little bit of room and create for a potential shot. And his wrist shot is lethal, too. When he gets moving, especially through the neutral zone, and he finds a little bit of space he’s really hard to (stop).”
When it was relayed to Nelson that Toews was particularly complimentary of his skating ability, Nelson said: “That’s nice coming from him, he’s a good skater. … The game is getting faster each and every year so that’s one area you have to focus a little bit more on. You want to make sure you can move.”
That skating, in particular, is something that Nelson has tried to improve every summer. He has spent time in recent off-seasons with skating guru Diane Ness, who works with a number of NHL players and was at Islanders rookie camp this season drilling the youngsters, too.
That extra work has helped turn Nelson into what Toews was describing — a deceptively fast forward with size who can take up plenty of ice while having the ability to get where he wants to go, quickly.
“He’s a lot longer than you think when you see him and when you play against him, he has a lot more reach to him and a lot more space he can cover in a short period of time,” Toews said. “He’s an underrated player in this league.”
Ah, yes, there’s that word, underrated — a term that’s frequently attached to Nelson, particularly since last season when he erupted for a career-high 37 goals. Ryan Pulock, in fact, used that word too, speaking about Nelson after an off-day practice in Arizona last Thursday.
“I think he’s been an underrated player in this league for quite a few years,” Pulock said. “Obviously seeing him every day, you see him practice, you see it in games how skilled he is, how smart he is.”
That he can score goals is no secret anymore. Nelson, with a team-leading 15 goals, is on track for the seventh 20-goal campaign of his career, and in all likelihood, a second straight in which he hits at least 30. What is most noticeable when looking at Nelson’s stat line this season, though, is his assist total.
Now with 18 assists, Nelson is just four away from his total last season, and 10 from his career high of 28, reached in 2018-19 and again in the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season.
So, is Nelson looking to pass more? Well, no. In fact, heading into Monday’s game, Nelson’s 96 shots in 32 games, or about 2.74 shots per game, was more than last season when he registered 171 shots in 72 games, or 2.34 per game.
“I’d probably say the opposite — I’m trying to shoot more,” Nelson said. “Sometimes you’re able to generate off the shot, and it opens things up. Just trying to read, and (playing) free is the biggest thing, and not (thinking) too much.”
And, of course, Nelson’s shot is arguably the most accurate on the team from a distance. If he has the puck on his stick in the face-off circle with a net to look at, it’s more likely than not that he’s going to hit it.
Regarding the system changes, Nelson said that there’s now “a little bit more movement in the (offensive) zone,” allowing him to operate frequently with more time and space.
Despite a 15.5 shooting percentage that’s more than six points lower than last season when he enjoyed an inflated 21.6 rate, Nelson is on track to essentially match his career-high goal total of 37. That’s despite him not scoring a goal in his first seven games. — “Brocktober” wasn’t much of a thing this year with him struggling at the outset.
“You always, as a shooter out there, have an idea (of where the net is) and you just don’t want to think too much,” Nelson said. “You want it just (to) be a natural reaction and instinct. That’s part of that playing free mentality, and just going out there and having fun.”
Said Pulock: “More and more over the last few years he’s really kind of dominating a little more. He’s been great. He’s reliable on both ends of the ice, and then offensively he creates scores. Just an all-around really good player.”
So why is the general view of Nelson that he’s underrated? Well, he wasn’t a top pick, going 30th in the 2010 draft — a spot where there are as many hits as misses. He broke into the league as a 22-year-old in 2013-14 and had 26 points in 72 games, a respectable total, but certainly not enough to put him into the Calder Trophy conversation. There was also a decent stretch when the still-developing Nelson spent a good chunk of time on John Tavares’ left wing, so perhaps there was a perception that he was only benefiting from the previous Islanders captain’s elite-level play. He was also streaky.
And, of course, Nelson spent four seasons playing Barry Trotz-style hockey, which can stifle the overall production of any offensive player, who also has to play a responsible two-way game in order to stay in the lineup and get playing time. A new system under coach Lane Lambert, in which the Islanders are scoring more goals and taking more chances, is naturally going to result in more production for a guy like Nelson and other scorers like Mathew Barzal, who is just two points behind Nelson with 31. .
Regardless, Nelson’s progress has been steady and incremental. Although he has never been a point-per-game player over the course of a full season, and still has some work to do if he’s going to do that this season, his value to the Islanders has grown as he’s improved, according to Pulock. .
“I think he’s just grown over the years to a place where he knows that he’s a good two-way player, and he shows up every night and has produced for this team for a long time,” Pulock said. “He kind of almost seems like he continually gets a little bit better along the way. Maybe not like big jumps where people are talking about him, (he) just continues to grow.”
As for Nelson, he’s aware that the U-word is often attached to his name. So, what’s his reaction to it?
“I don’t know. I mean, for me, I don’t look too much at the outside, or whatever,” Nelson said. “I try to go about my business and do my thing. … Just try to go out there and get the job done and compete on both sides. Whatever people use to describe me, you always want it to be positive. (I’m) always just trying to build (my) game.”
(Photo: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
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