Since Trotz arrived on Long Island back in the summer of 2018, he's worked intricately one-on-one with Nelson to encourage the evolution of the 29-year-old - as a player and a professional - into becoming a dominant and clutch centerman and one that is relied heavily on by his teammates. He currently is tied with Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle for the team lead in goals with 13 and has totaled 22 points (13G, 9A) through 38 games.
Nelson has flourished since Trotz took over the Islanders' helm and has produced career-high seasons in back-to-back years, as he's matured with the afforded opportunities he's received. Whether it's been the increased ice time, the nightly workload of facing the opposition's top talent, or competing in pivotal situations with reps on the power play, penalty kill and in overtime, he's continued to consistently rise to the occasion and solidify that crucial trust with his coaching staff and teammates.
In doing so, he's emerged as a distinguished leader among the group and the recent stitching of the 'A' on his jersey is a large-scale validation of that growth.
"With Brock, he's grown from a little bit from not necessarily [being] considered a core player to becoming a core player," Trotz continued. "Most of that is because his game has evolved to be a really solid two-way centerman in the National Hockey League and respected in the room; because of his journey. The guys in the room have seen his journey as the struggles early as a pro, where they maybe put him in more of a third-line role and he was asked to do things that maybe aren't really comfortable for him on a game-to-game basis. Now, he's evolving. He's grown his game."