The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forwards Matt Nieto and Vasily Ponomarev from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
In a corresponding transaction, rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Nieto was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday for conditioning purposes. The 32-year-old winger has not played any NHL games since Nov. 30, 2023, as a result of various knee injuries that have required surgery. During his conditioning stint, Nieto appeared in two games and scored one goal.
A left-handed shot, Nieto is in the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $900,000. He is designated to long-term injured reserve.
Ponomarev has appeared in five AHL contests this season and recorded one assist. He opened the season on the NHL club’s injured non-roster list after suffering a suspected left shoulder injury during a preseason contest Oct. 1.
During the preseason, Ponomarev appeared in three games and scored one goal.
A left-handed shot, the 22-year-old primarily has lined up at center this season. He is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $795,000.
The Penguins acquired Ponomarev as part of the blockbuster trade that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 7.
Blomqvist, 22, opened the season on the NHL roster after incumbent Alex Nedeljkovic suffered an undisclosed injury during a preseason game Oct. 30.
In eight games this season, Blomqvist has a 3-5-0 record, a 3.60 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
A second-round draft pick (No. 52 overall) in 2020, Blomqvist enjoyed a strong rookie season at the AHL level in 2023-24 and was selected as an All-Star. In 45 games last season, Blomqvist posted a 25-12-6 record, a 2.16 GAA, a .921 save percentage and one shutout.
He is in the second year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $886,667.
Following these transactions, the Penguins now have $1,881,487 of salary cap space according to Puckpedia.
These maneuvers come a day after forward Blake Lizotte suffered an undisclosed injury.
During a 3-2 overtime home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, Lizotte was struck in the face by a puck and left the contest at 16 minutes, 24 seconds of the first period. A substantive update on his status has yet to be provided.
