Report: Avalanche expected to lose Matt Nieto to Penguins

For the second time in three years, left winger Matt Nieto will depart the Colorado Avalanche in free agency.

This time, he’ll head to Pittsburgh. TSN’s Darren Dreger first reported the news under a half-hour before the green flag dropped on NHL free-agency, tweeting that he expected Nieto to sign a two-year deal with Penguins.

So, sudden change. Matt Nieto goes to Pittsburgh for 2 years $900,000 per. Long story. Lol

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2023

Working mainly as a third- or fourth-line left winger, the domino effect of Valeri Nichushkin’s absence and previous injuries shuffled Nieto onto the second line for a pair of games during the first-round series against the Seattle Kraken.

The Avalanche acquired him in part because of his playoff experience and success. But during the seven-game series, Nieto failed to record a point. It marked the first time he’d been shut out in six postseasons.

Nieto initially joined the Avalanche during the 2016-17 season of waivers from the Sharks. He remained with the team through the 2019-20 season that ended in the Edmonton bubble before jumping to San Jose in free agency on a 1-year deal in October 2020. He re-signed with the Sharks the following offseason.

The 30-year-old Nieto rejoined the Avalanche Jan. 25 in a trade from the Sharks. In 36 regular-season games, he tallied 4 goals, 5 assists and a plus-7 plus-minus, averaging 10 minutes, 52 seconds of ice time.

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