Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto were absent from the Pittsburgh Penguins morning skate Saturday before the team hosts the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Per an X announcement, the team recalled Joona Koppanen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Nieto has recently taken a couple of “maintenance days.”
Koppanen was signed as a free agent on July 1. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound Finnish forward made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins last season. He played five games and registered one assist.
This season, Koppanen has six points (3-3-6) in 18 games with the WBS Penguins. Acciari has three points (2-1-3) in 22 games centering the fourth line and has been a primary penalty killer. Nieto has four points (1-3-4) in 22 games.
As a result of the absences, the Penguins’ lines were jumbled Saturday morning. Pittsburgh Hockey Now will update the story after coach Mike Sullivan addresses the media following the skate.
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