Were the Penguins doing the right thing by holding Jesse Puljujarvi - waived Monday - out of a fourth-line role? The Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/]' organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we've decided to go through the best Penguins' players to wear each jersey number [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/best-penguins-by-jersey-number-82]. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #83 in Penguins' history. Only one player in franchise history has worn #83, and he hasn't played all that many games for the Penguins. But he's earned the designation nonetheless. The best and only #83 in Penguins' history is forward Matt Nieto. Dec 14, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Nieto (83) follows the puck in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExODUwNDE0ODA1NDkzMjgz/nieto-ottawa.jpg] Dec 14, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Nieto (83) follows the puck in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Nieto was drafted 47th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The 32-year-old debuted during the 2013-14 season and spent parts of his first four NHL seasons with the Sharks before heading off to Colorado for parts of the next four. He returned to San Jose ahead of the 2020-21 season, and he was dealt back to Colorado during the 2022-23 season before signing as a free agent with the Penguins in the offseason of 2023 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-sign-matt-nieto-two-year-contract]. Nieto played in only 22 games during the 2023-24 season due to injury, including a knee injury that kept him out from Nov. 30, 2023 until Nov. 15, 2024 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-forward-returns-to-practice-for-first-time-in-a-year]. But he did score his first goal in a Penguins' uniform against his former team, the Sharks, during a 10-2 stomping by the Penguins on Nov. 4, 2023: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6sToFUQuo[/embed] On the 2024-25 season for the Penguins, Nieto has one goal and three points in 18 games so far. Over the course of his NHL career up to this point, Nieto has recorded 87 goals and 206 points in 691 games. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNjYwNDIwMDI3OTUwOTI5/thnpitbanner.png]
