Penguins Place Forward Matt Nieto On Waivers

After losing all three of their games after the 4 Nations Face-off break and falling down the Eastern Conference ladder, the Pittsburgh Penguins have begun to make some changes to their roster.

On Wednesday, the Penguins placed forward Matt Nieto on waivers. Nieto has 24 hours to either be claimed or to clear, at which point he can be optioned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate.

Nieto missed most of the 2023-24 season and the beginning of the 2024-25 season because of injuries - and surgeries - to both knees, and he finally made his return to the Penguins' lineup on Nov. 15.

But since then, Nieto has found himself in and out of the press box. The inconsistencies in his defensive game - and his lack of production that includes just one goal and three points on the season - prevented him from having a leg-up on other players.

In potentially related news, forward Boko Imama - currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury - practiced in full capacity with the team on Wednesday and was rotating in line rushes with Nieto. However, even with Imama back in the picture, the Penguins will have 23 players on their roster - which is still at capacity. 

If Nieto clears and is re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, a roster move to call up another forward - perhaps Emil Bemstrom or prospect Vasily Ponomarev - should be expected sometime tomorrow.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!