Matt Nieto
Simply put, the Colorado Avalanche have been abysmal the past few years. As such, it’s no surprise that many players have down years with the team. This is just the case with Matt Nieto.
Nieto started his career with two solid seasons in San Jose. His third season was disappointing to say the least. He regressed in point totals and missed time due to injury.
Midway through this past season, Nieto was dealt to Colorado. He didn’t impress there either. He now ends up awaiting arbitration for his next contract. He’s shown glimmers of what he can do throughout his career.
His point totals have never been the highest, topping out at 27, but his overall game is very strong. In his limited game time, he ranks highly in shot generation and shot suppression. Realistically, Nieto projects to be a very solid depth forward, even on a great team.
Rangers’ stalwart Jesper Fast will miss much of the early part of the season. Nieto would be a great replacement and eventual complement in the bottom six.