Mar 29, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Matt Nieto (83) defends against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
By the end of an 82-game NHL season, there are always players that accrue bumps, bruises or even broken bones, but never miss a game. While the San Jose Sharks haven’t released a final injury report, Kevin Kurz of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area reported that Matt Nieto played through a fracture in his foot.
Kurz mentions that the injury occurred “at some point during the final few weeks,” but Nieto still managed to play in every game for San Jose down the stretch. Nieto had an average sophomore campaign with the Sharks, scoring 10 goals and 17 assists but was a minus-12 overall.
He bounced around the lineup after beginning on the second line, centered by Logan Couture, before finding some chemistry down the stretch on the third line, centered by rookie Chris Tierney. Nieto will be expected to elevate his game next season if the Sharks are going to challenge in the Pacific Division and return to the playoffs.
While Nieto should be good to go for the beginning of next season, the injury will force him to miss the IIHF World Championships where he would’ve represented Team USA. The list of San Jose players who will participate in the World Championships includes: Tomas Hertl (Czech Republic, the tournament hosts), Brent Burns (Canada), Ben Smith (USA), and former head coach Todd McLellan (Canada) and assistant coach Jay Woodcroft (Canada).
The IIHF World Championships are set to begin on Friday, May 1 in Prague.