BoT Player of the Week: Matt Nieto

This week’s Player of the Week goes to….

Jan 5, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) moves the puck against San Jose Sharks defenseman Jason Demers (5) and left wing Matt Nieto (83) during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Drum roll, everyone. Thank you. This one’s going to Matt Nieto. I’ve covered him in a previous profile before (which I, for whatever reason, I cannot find; I can only find the draft format, but anyway…). He’s still in his rookie year, so he’s obviously got a long way to go in really developing into a full well-rounded player. However, if you look at the way he plays, he’s got speed. He reads the play well off the puck. He creates great offense pressure on the puck. He’s scored two goals in the past two games. With the recent injuries in essential forwards (Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, etc.), he has been one of the players who’s found that extra gear. That is why he is this week’s BoT Player of the Week.