Penguins Notebook: Blomqvist Optioned, Nieto Activated, Prospect Recalled

Going into Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Penguins were carrying exactly 12 healthy forwards on their roster.

But, unfortunately for them, the injuries keep piling up. After forward Blake Lizotte was struck in the face with a shot from teammate Drew O’Connor – and did not return during the game – Pittsburgh was forced to play with 11 forwards en route to their 3-2 overtime loss.

The Penguins made some response roster moves Tuesday, as forwards Matt Nieto and Vasily Ponomarev were recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, and goaltender Joel Blomqvist was optioned to WBS.

The Penguins had been carrying three goaltenders, which was probably the plan for at least the next several weeks. That is, until Lizotte went down on Wednesday, leaving the Penguins with just 11 healthy forwards.

If Lizotte does not go to injured reserve, the Penguins are going to need some insurance at the position. Which is why they elected to recall two forwards.

Nieto, 32, signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with the Penguins during the 2023 offseason, and injuries led to him playing in just 22 games for the Penguins in 2023-24. He registered just one goal and four points, and he figures to see his first NHL action in almost a year.

Ponomarev, 22, is one of the prospects who was acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last spring. He profiles as a potential third-line center option at the NHL level, as he is excellent on the PK and good defensively while still offering an offensive skillet that includes some playmaking ability and deception.

His stick work is very good, and he uses it well in all three zones. In fact, he made a stick play in the neutral zone to set the table for his first NHL while with the Hurricanes.

Also, as shown below, Ponomarev is good along the walls and wins a lot of puck battles.

With the Penguins’ current injury situation at the forward position – and, particularly, the center postion, as they have three injuries (Cody Glass, Kevin Hayes, and Lizotte) and just traded Lars Eller – there should be some real opportunity for younger players to make an impression in the NHL lineup.

Blomqvist, 22, had a promising run to begin the season, as he started to look like the roster’s best goaltender. That may still be the case, but a rough outing Monday against Dallas – in which he surrendered three goals on eight shots and was pulled after just 10 minutes – set him back a bit.

After Monday’s game, Blomqvist dropped to 3-5 and also saw his numbers drop. On the season with the Penguins, he now owns a 3.60 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.