Martin Kaut was hoping to get more of a regular NHL opportunity when he requested a trade from Colorado earlier this season. However, while he was granted his wish for a swap, it hadn’t resulted in much NHL action with his new team. That could change now as the Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the winger from AHL San Jose.
The 23-year-old was the 16th overall pick in 2018 by the Avs but he hasn’t been able to live up to his draft billing. Kaut got his first taste of extended NHL action this season, getting into 27 games when Colorado was dealing with a lot of injuries and was looking for someone to grab hold of a full-time spot on the fourth line. However, it didn’t happen as he had just three points in that stretch.
Kaut was eventually moved to the Sharks in late January as part of a four-player swap but he has gotten into just three NHL contests since then. Instead, he has mostly played with the Barracuda where he has been productive, contributing three goals and ten assists in 15 games. With San Jose looking to evaluate some players down the stretch, it stands to reason that Kaut now should get a bit more of an extended look to see if the pending restricted free agent is someone that can make a push for a full-time spot in their lineup next season.