The Long Beach, California, native was San Jose's first pick at No. 47 overall in the 2011 draft and played his first three-plus seasons with the Sharks before the Avalanche claimed him off waivers on Jan. 7, 2017.
He has 30 points (18 goals and 12 assists) in 98 total games with Colorado and has carved out a role for himself this season on the team's third line with center Carl Soderberg and fellow wing Blake Comeau.
"It's nice to have a steady line. I've been with Combs and Sods for quite a while now," said the 25-year-old. "We've figured each other out. We all know our roles on the team. I just have fun with those two every day, and hopefully down the stretch here we can keep getting more."
The trio has been one of the Avs' most consistent during the campaign, and they helped contribute two goals versus the Flames, with Nieto's coming from some slick passing between the linemates.
"It was a nice breakout pass by Combs to find me in the middle," Nieto recalled of the start of the scoring sequence. "I kicked it out to Carl. It wasn't much there other than for me to drive to the net. He made a great pass, sauced it right to my tape, and I was able to tap it in."