Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Trade season is getting wild.
As the trade deadline slowly approaches, the San Jose Sharks decided to get a jump on things by pulling off a swap of their own, sending defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Martin Kaut and defenseman Jacob MacDonald.
While the trade is a largely understated one on the surface, it does happen to include two recent first-rounders.
Headlining Colorado’s end of the return is Merkley, the 21st overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft who made a name for himself as a prospect with his high-end offensive game. Merkley’s professional career hasn’t quite featured the same fireworks as his junior one did, with the 22-year-old spending the bulk of his 2021-22 season in the NHL, during which he registered one goal and six points in 39 games before. heading back down to the AHL this season.
Joining him in Denver is Nieto, a veteran of 615 NHL games who actually spent four seasons with the Avalanche from 2016 to 2020.
Kaut is the other first-rounder included in this swap – a player who, like Merkley, is hoping to use a fresh start to tap into his potential.
Kaut was the 16th overall pick in the 2018 draft, making his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season but playing in just 47 games since then. Even with Colorado’s influx of injuries opening up many lineup spots, Kaut never managed to carve out a consistent role for himself, with his new surroundings hopefully being just what the doctor ordered.
In 33 games this season, MacDonald, who is heading to San Jose with Kaut, has registered two points.
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