The Colorado Avalanche introduced again a well-known face Wednesday after they reacquired veteran two-way ahead Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks.
Nieto, together with prospect defenseman Ryan Merkley, are going to the defending Stanley Cup champions in change for defenseman Jacob McDonald and prospect ahead Martin Kaut.
Including Nieto offers the Avalanche a confirmed bottom-six ahead who can present contributions in quite a few areas and supply manufacturing past Andrew Cogliano and Logan O’Connor.
Nieto has eight objectives and 15 factors in 45 video games this season and is on tempo for a 13-goal marketing campaign, which might be the second most of his profession. He beforehand performed in Colorado for 4 seasons, from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
Moreover, Nieto offers Avs coach Jared Bednar and his teaching employees somebody who is aware of the dynamics of their penalty kill. The Avs enter Wednesday with the Twentieth-ranked penalty kill, with a 76.9% rage. As for the Sharks, they boast the No. 3 PK unit within the league, with Nieto receiving the second-most ice time amongst Sharks forwards.
In MacDonald, the Sharks obtain a depth defenseman who has two factors in 33 video games whereas averaging 8:39 in ice time with the Avs within the wake of their accidents.
Nieto shall be an unrestricted free agent on the finish of the season, whereas MacDonald has one 12 months left on a contract that can see him earn $762,500.
Exchanging Kaut and Merkley presents a change for a pair of 2018 first-round picks who struggled to make an affect within the NHL.
Kaut, who went sixteenth, was projected to be a top-nine, two-way ahead who spent the vast majority of his time with the Avs’ AHL affiliate however struggled to seek out the consistency to interrupt right into a top-nine function. Kaut has three factors whereas averaging 9:08 in 27 video games.
Merkley, who went twenty first, got here with the promise of doubtless turning into a top-four, puck-moving defenseman. He averaged 0.47 factors per recreation over 93 video games within the AHL however couldn’t replicate these numbers with the Sharks, having averaged 0.15 factors in 39 video games.
Each Kaut and Merkley shall be restricted free brokers on the finish of the season.