The Colorado Avalanche have acquired blue liner Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks. Going back the other way is forward Martin Kaut and defender Jacob MacDonald.
Kaut and Merkley were both selected in the 1st round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but have struggled to establish everyday roles with their former clubs. Merkley, 22, had previously requested a trade earlier this month, and is banking on a change of scenery helping him to regain the form that made him a highly touted prospect.
Meanwhile, Kaut has appeared in 47 NHL contests over the course of 4 seasons, and has had a tough time earning regular playing time on the talented roster of the defending Stanley Cup champions. In 27 games this season the native of Brno, Czechia has registered 3pts (1G, 2A) in 9:08 of ice time per night.
Nieto, 30, has 15pts (8G, 7A) in 45 games this year for the Sharks, and is making his return to Colorado where he appeared in 251 games with the club between 2016-2020. The left winger is a low risk addition to the Avalanche as he’s already familiar with the roster, and is set to become a UFA at season’s end.
His $850K cap hit will also work in the team’s favour as they’re severely lacking in the cap space department at the moment with a projected surplus of only $115,822 according to CapFriendly.
Jacob MacDonald was an undrafted free agent out of Cornell University originally signed by the Florida Panthers. In 33 games with Colorado this season he’s recorded a -3 rating with 2 assists and should serve as a bottom pairing depth defenseman for San Jose.
Kaut and Merkley will both be restricted free agents at the end of the season.
Photo: mark6mauno. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.