Avalanche reacquire Matt Nieto in 4-player trade with Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche brought back a familiar face Wednesday when they reacquired veteran two-way forward Matt Nieto from the San Jose Sharks.

Nieto, along with prospect defenseman Ryan Merkley, are going to the defending Stanley Cup champions in exchange for defenseman Jacob McDonald and prospect forward Martin Kaut.

Adding Nieto gives the Avalanche a proven bottom-six forward who can provide contributions in a number of areas and offer production beyond Andrew Cogliano and Logan O'Connor.

Nieto has eight goals and 15 points in 45 games this season and is on pace for a 13-goal campaign, which would be the second most of his career. He previously played in Colorado for four seasons, from 2016-17 to 2019-20.