Penguins
Penguins Injury Updates on Glass, Hayes; Nieto Plan
A couple of injured Pittsburgh Penguins forwards could be out of the lineup for a while, according to updates provided Sunday by coach Mike Sullivan following the team’s practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Cody Glass, who is on IR, has been diagnosed with a concussion. There typically is no timetable for recovery and return from that injury.
Kevin Hayes, who has missed the past two games because of an upper-body injury, will be out on a week-to-week basis.
Each is in his first season with the Penguins. Glass has no goals, four assists in 14 games. Hayes has three goals, one assist in 14 games.
In something that’s sort of the opposite of concerning injury news, Sullivan said forward Matt Nieto is likely to spend the full allowable two weeks on his conditioning assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Nieto had a goal Saturday in his first game with WBS.
Nieto is coming off two knee surgeries and has not played an NHL game since Nov. 23, 2023. He was practicing in full before he went to WBS, but Sullivan noted that his situation dictates a longer time to get up to full speed.
“When you think about his rehab, it’s been a year since he’s played a game, so it’s a long time,” Sullivan said. “For him to get into some game-real scenarios I think is really essential to set him up for success.”
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Why not call up Sam Poulin or Bemstrom instead of bringing in another veteran on a conditioning stint? This is another reason why the organization is where it is with player development.
Not sure I understand the comment–They sent Nieto down on a conditioning assignment. He’s still on LTIR and there are no decisions about the NHL roster yet
Most subscribers on here have no idea as far as salary cap and how conditioning assignments work.
Conditioning stints like Nieto’s often lead to a quick return to the NHL roster, which can come at the expense of younger players who might benefit the team. It also represents missed opportunities to prove themselves and gain valuable experience—a frustrating reality, especially when the organization consistently has leaned toward veterans, even if they’re underperformed. There has been allot of underperforming over the last few years.
In 2 weeks, he will get a jersey.
I don’t see where Nieto is gonna fit in…another average player who can fly up and down the ice and eat up minutes but not score….Nothing against him personally but the team has about 6 or so guys just like him….I think he should end up on waivers after his rehab as well as a couple others and bring up some prospects to take their place.
I agree, waivers may be necessary. Although, it could depend on the health of the roster at the time that his conditioning assignment is finished. In all likelihood someone else could be injured.