Brock Nelson has been one of the NY Islanders' top players, but what can he improve o

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Throughout the NY Islanders 2023-24 season, there seemed to be no one more reliable than Brock Nelson. In his 11th year with the team, Nelson scored 69 points (34 G, 35 A) in 82 games, the second-highest point total of his career. Nelson seems to embody what it means to be an Islander, known for being a leader both on and off the ice and one of the most consistent centers in the NHL.

This past season, however, caused a bit of a riff between fans and Nelson, who was previously a fan favorite on the Island. Fans were expecting Lou Lamoriello to make big changes at the trade deadline and when rumors spread that Nelson was being shopped around the league, some fans were quick to turn on the center, hoping for his involvement in a trade. Elliotte Friedman was quick to quiet these rumors on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, stating that trading Nelson would be ridding the Islanders of their soul.

Brock Nelson finished the season first in goals and third in points for the Islanders. Now, heading into his final year of a 6-year, $36 million contract, Nelson hopes to remain consistent and reliable on the second line. This season Nelson will also have to prove to fans that shutting down trade requests was a smart choice for the team and that he truly is the heart and soul of this Islanders team. Let's take a look at Nelson's successes and where he can improve as training camp gets closer for the 2024-25 season.

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Nelson has always been a top scorer in the Islanders lineup but this past season proved why he's one of the most underrated centers and scorers in the NHL. Nelson was the most consistent scorer on the Islanders this season, a quiet star who always showed up when he was needed most. Nelson even finished the season amongst the top goal scorers in the Metropolitan Division, only two goals behind Sebastian Aho, and with more goals than Alexander Ovechkin and Travis Konecny. Nelson was so consistent that his longest pointless streak came at the beginning of the season where he had no points from in four games. Notably, Nelson seemed to be more comfortable shooting this past season than ever in his career, finishing the season with 250 SOG, 68 more than his previous career high. While shots on goal is a small stat, it shows his unrelenting contribution to the lineup and his shooting mentality only improving with time.

Brock Nelson, that was smooth. 😯 pic.twitter.com/vSoSiFsdnw
— NHL (@NHL) February 21, 2024

The Islanders had two overwhelming struggles this past season, the powerplay and on defense, especially with the many injuries to defensemen that they dealt with this past season. As a veteran in the lineup, Nelson knew that where they were struggling was where he needed to step up. Nelson scored 19 power play points (9 G, 10 A) this past season making him one of the strongest players on the man advantage. In the defensive zone, Nelson was a huge help, always laying his body on the line to make a save or get in a shooting lane. He was incredible in the faceoff circle, doing his part in helping out the defenseman and ensuring puck possession. He finished the season at 45.2%.

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Unlike most players on the team, Nelson didn't seem to struggle all that much this past season. All throughout the lineup, there were injuries, tons of inconsistent play and just overall team struggles with coaching changes and a new playing style enforced. The only player that wasn't affected was Nelson, again proving how much he matters to this team and the locker room. While there isn't much to discuss in terms of the negative, there are a few places that Nelson could improve to hopefully help the team overall.

In the playoffs, the whole team struggled against the Hurricanes and as a whole needed to show up. While Nelson didn't completely disappear the way others did, his scoring touch looked lost. He had 4 points in 5 games, second most behind Mat Barzal, but after scoring 34 goals in the regular season 2 in the playoffs is laughable. Especially as a veteran scorer on the team, there are American-born rookies all over the NHL who looked up to Nelson growing up and he needs to step up and prove that he is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, even during the playoffs.

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Brock Nelson has been one of the NY Islanders' top players, but what can he improve on heading into next season?

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