Avs and Sharks pull off four player trade, Merkley finally moved

In case you missed it last night, the San Jose Sharks and defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche hooked up on a deal, shipping four players to new locales.

The full deal sees the Sharks acquiring defenseman Jacob MacDonald and forward Martin Kaut from the Avalanche in exchange for forward Matt Nieto and blue liner Ryan Merkley.

Colorado is getting Nieto, who has put up eight goals and seven assists over 45 games with the Sharks in 2022-23 and returns to the Avalanche where he spent four seasons from 2016 to 2020. The Avs also add 22-year-old Merkley, who was selected by the Sharks 21st overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, has one goal and five assists over 39 games this season. There were reports earlier this offseason that Merkley had quietly requested a trade from Sharks GM Mike Grier, preferring a fresh start elsewhere in the NHL.

In San Jose, the Sharks will welcome MacDonald, who has recorded two assists over 33 games this season with the Avalanche, his third in Colorado, and a 23-year-old Kaut. The young forward is in his fourth season and has one goal with two assists over 27 games.