Sheng Peng
Matt Nieto, top-six forward?
Quietly, Nieto has been playing up in the line-up during the San Jose Sharks’ three-game winning streak – and doing a good job of it.
“Yeah, Niets is a guy that’s so interchangeable,” Bob Boughner said. “He’s played left wing, right wing, he’s played on every line and on the penalty kill.”
Last Monday, Nieto skated with Dylan Gambrell and Rudolfs Balcers in a surprise 3-2 OT victory over the St. Louis Blues. This past weekend, Nieto filled in for an injured Balcers, skating next to Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. Nieto came out from this promotion with just a single assist, but he’s a player whose contributions should be measured beyond points.
“He embraces his role and he’s able to move up in the line-up when needed, just because he plays a pretty simple game,” Evander Kane said. “He does a good job of playing within himself. He did that tonight and he’s really been doing that all year.”
I took a closer look at some of the good work that Nieto did last night in a 3-1 win over Anaheim – and talked to an NHL scout to gauge his trade value around the league. Nieto, of course, is an unrestricted free agent, the Trade Deadline is less than a month away, and the Sharks are still eight points behind the Blues for the final playoff spot in the West.
From the get-go last night, Nieto (83) was on his toes. He beats Max Jones (49) to a puck along the wall, then gets inside position on the Isac Lundestrom (48) – the veteran winger goes straight to the net and draws a penalty.
“I think he helped that line the last couple games with Rudy being out, pushing the pace a little bit with that line, providing a little bit of a more north-south game, straight lines,” Boughner said. “Sometimes that’s good to mix things up and have that on your line.”
There are so many good San Jose Sharks’ plays on this shift – Fredrik Handemark (37) taking the puck away from Nicolas Deslauriers (20), Mario Ferraro (38) pinching, and of course, Tomas Hertl (48) to Kevin Labanc (62) – but my favorite play is probably Nieto separating Josh Mahura (76) from the puck on the forecheck (00:15).
Safe to say, at just 5-foot-11, Nieto packs a punch.
“For me, it’s just really working for [my linemates] and getting it on the forecheck,” Nieto said, whether playing on the second or fourth line. “Those are players who want the puck in their hands, so I try to get it to them and let them do their work. I just try to give them time and space.”
Using his feet and extending his stick on the forecheck, which in effect cuts off one side of the ice for Ben Hutton (7) and his forehand, Nieto forces Hutton into his own goalie.
Nieto has always been able to skate. He shows that off here in this short-handed opportunity. The winger has also turned himself into a first-choice penalty killer.
Boughner added: “That was a great signing for us, a guy that we’re familiar with, he adds to our team speed.”
Like I said, Nieto has always been able to skate. But what’s made him into a valuable player has been his tenacity on the puck and the simplifying of his game. Here’s a good example of his north-south tenacity along the wall.
“I think I’m really finding my game,” Nieto offered. “It’s crazy sometimes, when you just simplify and focus on the little things, you can really find your game quick.”
Boughner agreed: “Matty has been real solid the last couple games. I can’t say enough about how he’s [performed].”
So what is Nieto’s trade value around the league?
One NHL scout still wasn’t buying high on Nieto.
“Fourth-rounder at best. Probably less,” the scout shared. “He’s a fourth-liner.”
And he likes Nieto. But San Jose Sharks fans looking for a Barclay Goodrow, or even a Patrick Marleau-like return for Nieto at this year’s Trade Deadline might come up disappointed.
Goodrow, don’t forget, was a centerman who had one more year on his deal at a bargain rate, unlike the UFA Nieto. That helped draw a first-rounder from Tampa Bay, along with San Jose sending back a third. Meanwhile, Marleau got a third-rounder last year from Pittsburgh, but according to this scout, Nieto doesn’t quite have the playoff savvy and veteran leadership of a Marleau.
“Marleau also has a scoring history. Nieto doesn’t,” the scout added.
That might seem silly because Nieto has outscored the 41-year-old Marleau this season, but Marleau does still get power play minutes over Nieto, probably because Marleau still has that experience in offensive areas to fill in for a spell on the man advantage. That’s a versatility that Nieto may not have.
Anyway, Nieto doesn’t seem too concerned about where he might be traded. That veteran similarity in his approach, second line or fourth line, seems to also serve him well with the Trade Deadline fast approaching.
“For us as players, we just show up to work every day,” Nieto said. “Whatever happens, happens.”