Sharks trade Matt Nieto, Ryan Merkley to Avalanche in four-player swap

Nieto, 30, is a 5-foot-11 winger who is signed through the end of the 2022–23 season at an $850,000 NHL cap hit. He has eight goals and 15 points in 45 games with the Sharks this year.

Merkley, 22, has spent the entire season to date with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, with which he has 14 points (all assists) in 30 games. The 6-foot right-handed defender is set to become a restricted free agent in July.

Kaut, 23, has split the 2022-23 season between the Avalanche and the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. A 6-foot-2 right wing, Kaut has one goal and three points in 27 NHL games with the Avalanche this year; for his career, he has six points in 47 NHL contests. Like Merkley, Kaut is in the final year of his entry-level deal.

MacDonald, 29, is a journeyman left-handed defender with 76 games of NHL experience. The 6-foot rearguard has notched two assists and averaged 8:40 in 33 appearances with the Avalanche in 2022-23. He’s signed through 2024 at a $762,500 NHL cap hit.

Both Kaut and Merkley were first-round picks in their respective draft years; Nieto and MacDonald are veteran role players at opposite positions.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche currently rank third in the Central Division with a 26-17-3 record through 46 games this season. Meanwhile, the 14-25-10 Sharks occupy seventh place in the Pacific Division.