Pittsburgh Penguins Officially Place Veteran Winger on Waivers

The roster turnover we've seen in Pittsburgh this season has been surprising, and with the team sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division, it's safe to say that we could see many more changes before the year is out.

Now we've seen one of those, as veteran winger Matt Nieto has officially been placed on waivers, after a very slow start with the team in 2024/25, with just 1 goal and three points scored in 31 games played thus far.

In that time, Nieto also has a -8 differential, and given that the team have some young forwards thriving in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, it makes perfect sense that they could look to get them some more playing time with their Stanley Cup hopes all but dashed.

Last season, Nieto managed just 4 points in 22 games with the Penguins, serving as a depth forward for the team as he primarily played in the bottom-six, but ultimately he just couldn't rekindle the form he had with the Colorado Avalanche in his new home.

On $900k a year, Nieto is a very cheap piece for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with his deal expiring after this year, a team could look to take a chance on him as a rental, but if not, it's a deal the Penguins are done with following this season.

Given the lack of production, it's highly unlikely that rival teams will be rushing to add Nieto, with the 32-year olds best days at the NHL level clearly behind him at this point, but given that teams are looking for cheap depth ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, anything could happen on waivers.