Avalanche newcomer Matt Nieto, a Jan. 5 waiver-wire pickup from the San Jose Sharks, is a solid bet to survive the team’s likely roster overhaul. Only four games into his time with the downtrodden Avs, the southern California native scored a gritty goal Tuesday and is on a two-game points streak.
Playoff-bound San Jose (54 points) is deep at forward and Nieto was a healthy scratch in 13 of the Sharks’ previous 16 games before he was waived. If he had cleared waivers, he could have been assigned to the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, but San Jose general manager Doug Wilson expected Nieto to be claimed.