The Colorado Avalanche had a disappointing end to their Stanley Cup playoff run, which finished with four straight losses to the Vegas Golden Knights. While their run ended early, they’ll have some decisions to make in the near future.
One of the decisions that they might be faced with is figuring out whether or not Brock Nelson has a chance to finish out his three-year extension in Colorado.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Nelson as a player. He seems to fit alright with the players he is with. He finished the regular season with 33 goals (third on Avs) and 32 assists (fifth on Avs) in 81 games. That’s solid production and there’s almost nothing to complain about there. However, his playoff production is what holds him back from taking the next step.
Aside from the 2019-20 and 2020-21 postseasons, Nelson is almost invisible during the playoffs. In the two years I mentioned, he combined for 16 goals and 14 assists in 41 playoff games.
Other than that, though, he has 13 goals and 14 assists in 57 games, including the Avalanche’s 13 playoff games this year. It just for some reason has not worked out for Nelson during the big moments he has been a part of. The Avalanche, and (now former) general manager Chris MacFarland were fully aware of his underwhelming track record in the postseason but still signed him to an extension.
Nelson wasn’t the lone problem during the series against the Golden Knights, but his ongoing track record speaks for itself. It is a disappointment.
The Avalanche wouldn’t get a lot for Nelson, I don’t think, but if they have a feeling that he won’t produce in next year’s run, maybe it is time to pull the plug on the guy they traded a promising prospect in Calum Ritchie for. They might be able to get a prospect back for Nelson, but that could be a stretch. Like I said, he’s not a bad player—it just has not worked out for him in the biggest games of the year.
