Matt Nieto was back in Cranberry for the second time in less than a week.
Such an occurrence is standard for members of the Pittsburgh Penguins as that is where the team’s practice facility is located.
But being a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins has not been as regular of a circumstance for Nieto as often as all invested parties would have preferred this season.
Last week, Nieto was on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ roster and that team held a practice in the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Thursday in advance of a handful of games up the turnpike(s) against the host Cleveland Monsters over the weekend.
By Tuesday, he was back in Cranberry for a morning skate with the NHL club after being recalled under emergency roster conditions created by the absence of fourth-line center Blake Lizotte.
Nieto opened Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on the left wing of the fourth line.
Such imbalance — shuffling between the NHL and American Hockey League rosters — has been commonplace for the veteran Nieto this season. Including several paper transactions for the day-to-day management of the team’s roster, Nieto has been moved between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on 13 separate occasions this season.
And all of that shuffling — even if most of the maneuvers are simply procedural and don’t require him physically transiting across the state — have occurred against the context of him trying to bounce back from a pair of surgeries to each knee in January (right) and May (left) of 2024.
His recovery from those procedures landed him on long-term injured reserve to open the 2024-25 campaign.
Suffice it to say, it has not been an ideal season for the 32-year-old who is seeking a new contract as a pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
Regardless, his return with four games remaining in the regular season was enthusiastically welcomed by teammates.
“The whole last 18 months probably hasn’t been the easiest for him,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. “But he’s been awesome. Always comes to the rink with a great attitude. A smile on his face. He’s very well liked in this locker room. You see a guy who’s maybe had an up-and-down year get this (recall).
“Kind of make the most of these last games here to prove that he’s a good NHL player. We believe that he is and we’re glad to have him back.”
Coach Mike Sullivan labeled Lizotte as “day to day” due to an undisclosed injury.
Additionally, forward Philip Tomasino is sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a concussion that forced him to be scratched for a 3-1 road loss to the Blackhawks on Sunday.
Forward Tommy Novak remains absent due to an undisclosed injury that has led to him being scratched for 12 games going into Tuesday. And defenseman P.O Joseph, currently designated to regular injured reserve, worked out on the ice prior to Tuesday’s morning skate. An undisclosed ailment has sidelined him for the previous 18 games.
Prospect stays in Finland
Penguins forward prospect Emil Jarventie signed a one-year contract extension with Tappara of the Liiga, the top-tier league in his native Finland, on Tuesday.
A seventh-round pick (No. 217 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old Jarventie was limited to eight games and no points with Tappara this season due to an undisclosed injury he suffered in October.
The Penguins have the left-hander’s NHL rights until June 1, 2027.
