Let’s face it, before this season began, one of the biggest questions surrounding the the Pittsburgh Penguins was how they would improve their goaltending. Both Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith failed to find consistency and the former struggled to stay healthy. As a result, the Penguins struggled and the entire team suffered the consequences with their first playoff miss in nearly two decades. New president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas made it a priority to address the goaltending situation, and it’s finally bearing fruit.
New Penguins’ backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract just as DeSmith was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks. While he began his tenure rather unceremoniously, his recent play with both the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and his performance against the Vegas Golden Knights during his current stint with the big club has led many to begin describing him as the backup the Penguins have been searching for after last season’s struggles.
Nedeljkovic Back After Up-And-Down Career
Although his first few seasons only saw him appear in six total games, Nedeljkovic quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with when he got regular playing time in 2020-21. He finished the season with a .932 save percentage (SV%) and a league-leading 1.90 goals-against average (GAA). His sparkling performance earned him third place in Calder Trophy voting, only beaten out by the Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov (the eventual winner) and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. His performance was good enough for the Detroit Red Wings to come calling and make him their new starter.
He failed to replicate the success he had in Carolina, with his SV% dipping to .900 from .928 over the course of his two-year stint in the Motor City (From “Alex Nedeljkovic is ‘on it’ as he looks to get NHL career back on track in Pittsburgh” Matt Vensel. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 23/11/2023). While some were quick to write him off as merely the backup goalie on a rebuilding team, others were more than willing to point out his strengths. The run he went on to end last season showed flashes of his former brilliance, but it wasn’t enough to earn him another contract.
Related: Canucks’ Casey DeSmith Shines Bright in First Start
The change of scenery has done him some good so far, despite him missing some time with injury. He’s bounced between the AHL and the NHL and has been absent for 10 games this season. However, it finally seems as though he’s found his form. In doing so, he accomplished something no other goaltender had ever done before.
Nedeljkovic’s Strong Play Rewarded With Regular Appearances
During his time in Detroit, Nedeljkovic’s inconsistent play saw him appear regularly for both the Red Wings and their affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. Although it eventually saw his name crop up on waivers, he cleared them and continued to guard the crease in Hockeytown until the end of last season. Some of his time was spent conditioning in Grand Rapids, which saw his numbers improve. He posted a record of 9-8-2, a 2.90 GAA, and a .908 SV%. On their own and out of context, those aren’t exactly impressive, but they represented the rewarded efforts of a player desperately attempting to regain his rookie season form.
This season, he was once again assigned to a conditioning stint in the AHL, where he put on a stellar performance and set a rather impressive league record. On Nov. 17 against the Providence Bruins, Nedeljkovic scored an empty-net goal. Outstanding in its own right, but even more so when noting the fact that it was his second career AHL goal, which means he now holds the league record for goals by a goaltender. On top of that, he recorded the victory and posted 17 saves on 19 shots in the WBS Penguins’ victory.
His performance in the minors caught the attention of the big club, who brought him back and slotted him as the starting netminder against the second-place Golden Knights. He finished the night with a shutout, blanking the league’s sixth-highest-scoring team and posting his first goose egg since April 2022. In what was Nedeljkovic’s first game back in Pittsburgh since his injury on Oct. 24, he seemed most like the version of himself that finished third in Calder Trophy voting. If he can keep up these types of performances, it seems like the Penguins’ goaltending woes are solved.
