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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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.

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%.