Pittsburgh Penguins Make Roster Move Head of Crucial Home Game

After their latest defeat, the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Playoff hopes have taken a hit, but with hopes still alive, they face a must-win battle with the division rival Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

Ahead of the game, GM Kyle Dubas has made an intriguing roster move, as the team have re-assigned veteran forward Matt Nieto to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

This move comes after Nieto has been sent up and down on paper over the past few weeks after being an emergency recall, and with Tommy Novak potentially not far away from a return, it's unlikely that he'll play a significant role at the NHL level again this season.

The 32-year old veteran has spent the last two seasons in the Penguins organization, and while he's played in 31 games this season at the NHL level, he's not been as productive as the team would have liked.

In that time, Nieto has tallied just 1 goal and 3 points alongside a -8 differential, and with the team needing youth and difference makers down the stretch, playing Nieto simply doesn't make sense for Head Coach Mike Sullivan.

There's always a chance that another injury leads to playing time for Nieto, but at this point in time he simply isn't cut out to play at the NHL level anymore after over 700 games with Colorado and San Jose, and with his contract running out at the end of this season, it's unclear if he's got a future at the top level.