Here is one stark reality for the Islanders: Brock Nelson is their first-line center.
At least that will be the case when the 22-year-old rookie leads the Islanders into the resumption of this season, as the Maple Leafs visit the Coliseum on Thursday night for the first of the final 22 games to follow the Olympic break.
Nelson is taking the spot between wingers Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo, left vacant after captain John Tavares suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Nelson also bypassed Frans Nielsen, who is out until at least next week’s road trip through Western Canada with a fractured hand.
Coach Jack Capuano let out a semi-chuckle after Wednesday’s practice when asked about his level of surprise Nelson is in this position at this juncture of the season.
“You can never control what you can’t control,” Capuano said. “As a coaching staff, we’re just going to do the best that we can with the players we have. It’s a great situation for Brock. It’s not a good situation that we have Nielsen and Tavares out of our lineup, but it gives an opportunity to put guys in a situation a little quicker.”
Nelson has been somewhat of a surprise this year, playing his first 50 NHL games with poise while putting up 10 goals and nine assists. Drafted with the final pick of the first round (30th overall) in 2010, Nelson has filled out his 6-foot-3 frame and become sound defensively, drawing high praise from Capuano with a comparison to Nielsen, one of the best two-way forwards in the league.
“Not only does he work and do the right things, but he’s intelligent,” Capuano said of Nelson. “And when you play that center man position, and you need to play a 200-foot game, you need to be strong, and you need to be intelligent. He reminds me a lot of Fransy.”
It’s also currently bit of a reunion for Nelson, as former teammates for AHL Bridgeport Ryan Strome, Anders Lee and Mike Halmo all have been called up and will play Thursday. If one considers Strome and Lee replacements for Tavares and Nielsen, then Halmo would be replacing fourth-line winger Matt Martin, who practiced on Wednesday with a non-contact jersey, but remains sidelined with a lower-body injury.
In light of the fact Vanek is almost assuredly going to be traded by the March 5 deadline, along with top-four defenseman Andrew MacDonald, there will be more pressure than ever put on Nelson and his young mates.
“With every day and each game you get more comfortable,” Nelson said. “The guys are good here, the coaches have been good, helping me out, the little things that I need to improve on. There is still a long ways to go.”
For him, and for the Islanders.