Brock Nelson’s acquisition by the Colorado Avalanche during the previous season altered the organization’s future course. Nelson was the biggest fish in the sea at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders.

Colorado paid a hefty price for him. Calum Ritchie and Oliver Kylington, along with a first-round and third-round pick, shaped the move. William Dufour arrived with Nelson, but the Avs didn’t sign him during the summer.

There were plenty of questions when the move happened. Almost no prospects remained in the system after the trade, and Nelson did not fit the mold of the Avs’ play style as an older, slower player.

He became somewhat of a “set-and-forget” second-line center, something Colorado had struggled with ever since the departure of Nazem Kadri. In 26 games last season, including the playoffs, he had only 17 points. He didn’t score a goal in the series against the Dallas Stars and was a reason Colorado didn’t pull out the win.

A slow start to this season didn’t help his case, as he had only two points in the opening nine games. It included several shifts as part of the top power-play unit. However, he has stepped it up with four points in the last three games. It included his first multi-point game of the season against the Isles.


Looking at a larger scope, he’s got seven points in the last 10 games. But, it does far from compare to the start of last season for the previous second-line center, Casey Mittelstadt. He had 18 points in the opening 19 games, doubling the current stat line of Nelson.


It doesn’t look good stats-wise for the 34-year-old American. But something Nelson has that Mittelstadt didn’t is the captain, Gabriel Landeskog. Nelson and Landeskog had nice chemistry in the playoffs, leading to Landy’s superb goal. They didn’t start this season the best, though.

On top of that, Nelson has a commitment both in money and term for three years at $7.5 million AAV. Jared Bednar has stated before that he trusts veterans and experienced players. The commitment to Nelson, despite his struggles, shows just that.

Whether Brock Nelson continues this hot streak and solidifies himself as a solid player in the system is yet to be seen. It feels as though more needs to come from the presumed second-line center for the Avalanche to make an already elite team even better.