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Penguins Set to Cut Ties With Forward: He Will Return 'Under No Circumstances'
Matt Nieto struggled for the Pittsburgh Penguins this past season, and now it's been revealed that he won't be back with the team in 2025/26.
This off-season will be critical for the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and while next season may not be the prettiest, it's safe to say that the team can go a long way to improving this team in the long-term with the right decisions.
One of those decisions will be on retaining or letting go key free agents, and according to Josh Yohe, the front office has already made a decision on veteran Matt Nieto, who will not be returning to the team next season.
Decisions to be made: Under no circumstances will Nieto return to the Penguins, as his body and play badly deteriorated during his time in Pittsburgh. Grzelcyk wasn't a disaster in Pittsburgh, and he handled his duties on the top power play nicely. It's conceivable but unlikely that he will return.
In two seasons with the Penguins, Nieto appeared in just 54 games, scoring a total of 2 goals and 7 points in that time, and while he's never been known as a top scorer, it's safe to say that even this output would have been highly disappointing for the team.
On top of that, the team saw success with the arrivals of both Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, and with some intriguing names in the organization, it's likely that a roster spot would simply be wasted on Nieto.
At 32-years of age, it's unclear what the future looks like for the former second-round draft pick, but after struggling in his stint in Pittsburgh, this is definitely the right call for the Penguins as they look to get younger and build for a life after their iconic core trio.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 25 | 161 ANSWERS Penguins Set to Cut Ties With Forward: He Will Return 'Under No Circumstances' Is this the right move from the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 133 | 82.6 % |
| No | 28 | 17.4 % |
| List of polls | ||