NY Islanders Brock Nelson left out of top 100 forward rankings

Despite playing just a few hundred yards outside of New York City, the NY Islanders can be considered a small-market team. The team doesn't get nearly the attention of the big city New York Rangers or even the young and exciting New Jersey Devils.

Playing a defensive style system under head coach Barry Trotz, fans around the league and folks in the media like Paul Bissonette still believe the Islanders are a boring defensive-minded team - which likely played a role in Brock Nelson being left out of the league's top 100 players in a fan vote.

In a poll conducted by JFresh of EPRinkside, Nelson is nowhere to be found in the top 100, with over 227,000 people participating.

Nelson's career didn't begin to blossom until he hit his 30s, and is now a perennial 30-goal scorer in the NHL. The lifetime Islander has goals totals of 37, 36, and 34, respectively in his last three seasons, and could become the top-trade target league-wide if the Islanders make him available before the deadline.

Some notable players ranked above Nelson are Jonathan Huberdeau, who's career trajectory is has been going downhill since being traded to the Calgary Flames, and Sam Bennett, who finished last season with 20 goals and 41 points.

Two Islanders did make the list, being the obvious in Mat Barzal (28) and Bo Horvat (49). The pair have had instant chemistry since the Islanders acquired Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks midway through the 2022-23 season. Both had arguably the best season of their careers with Barzal hitting the 80-point mark for the first time since his rookie campaign, and Horvat's 68 points just two off from his career-best set the year before.

With Anthony Duclair potentially becoming the third member of the Islanders' top line, Barzal and Horvat have every opportunity to jack those numbers up to their career bests.