Penguins recall defenseman Aho, forward Nieto from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
By JUSTIN GUERRIERO
The Tribune-Review, Greensburg
(TNS) —The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled defenseman Sebastian Aho and forward Matt Nieto on Tuesday from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Nieto has played eight games (one goal, two assists) for Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton since being placed on waivers by the Penguins on Feb. 26, after which he cleared and was assigned to the AHL.
The 32-year-old has skated in 31 games this season for the NHL Penguins, recording a goal and two assists in 12 minutes, 14 seconds of nightly ice time.
He is in the final year of a two-year contract worth $9000,000 annually and has missed substantial time during his Penguins tenure because of multiple knee surgeries. Aho joins the NHL roster for the first time this season. A veteran of 190 NHL games with the New York Islanders, Aho inked a two-year contract with the Penguins worth $775,000 annually this past offseason, entering preseason camp hoping to compete for a spot on the blue line. However, an opportunity with the Penguins out of camp was not forthcoming, with Aho instead being assigned to the AHL, where he’s remained for the entirety of the season.
Injuries have limited his availability for Wilks-Barre/Scranton, but the 5-foot-11 left-handed shot has appeared in 17 games for the AHL club, posting seven assists.