Mile High Sticking
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Colorado Avalanche Add Rap Star Matt Nieto

By Nadia Archuleta

Nov 1, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) controls the puck under pressure from Colorado Avalanche left wing Blake Comeau (14) in the second period at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) controls the puck under pressure from Colorado Avalanche left wing Blake Comeau (14) in the second period at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Avalanche attempt to relieve their scoring troubles by picking up left wing Matt Nieto off waivers.

The Colorado Avalanche have a new addition to their team, rap star Matthew Nieto.

Ok, technically Nieto is a left wing. The San Jose Sharks, who drafted Matt in 2011, put him on waivers yesterday. Colorado claimed him today.

The move should come as no real surprise. The Avalanche lost an embarrassing 4-1 game to the Calgary Flames. They just avoided getting shut out by a defenseman goal.

In fact, though the move ended niftily, the puck seemed out of control for defenseman Patrick Wiercioch:

In any case, the Avalanche have already been shut out seven times this season. The team has a goal differential of -52, which is naturally the worst in the NHL. In other words, Colorado needs help in the scoring department.

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Matt Nieto is in the new style of Colorado Avalanche players. He’s not the big, gritty man previously favored. He’s smaller and speedy with good hockey sense. And, as is favored by the team these days, he’s good analytics-wise. Except for one season, his Corsi-for percent has been above 50 — it was at 51.5% with the Sharks this season.

He’s not exactly the biggest scoring wiz in the NHL. In 221 games he has 28 goals and 42 assists. In 16 games this season, he has no goals and just two assists. That said, he’s only 24, and he had a good rookie season (10 goals, 17 assists) in 2014-15.

Plus the Colorado Avalanche can afford him — he’s on a one-year deal worth $735,000.

According to the team, Nieto will continue to wear his #83 — and is the first Av to do so:

Not that the team will need it this season, but Nieto also has a lot of playoff experience. He scored five points in seven playoff games his rookie season. He also played in 16 games during San Jose’s playoff run last year.

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Here are a couple fun facts about Matt Nieto. First of all, he’s a native Californian — the first-ever Cali boy the Sharks drafted. He grew up in Long Beach. Yes, that means he’s yet another Californian coming here to Colorado, and, yes, that probably means he’ll have trouble driving in the snow that just dumped on us.

Second, I called Nieto a rap star because of his performance in the Sharks’ Holiday Sweater video:

(He’s the first rapper.) And also because he composed and recorded the Sharks’ victory song:

I’m guessing Nathan MacKinnon, who’s a huge fan of rap music, will be happy to welcome the new Colorado Avalanche player aboard.

MacK, a Canadian, can probably even offer Matt Nieto some winter driving tips.

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