The first Pittsburgh Penguins trade of the free agency period for the Pittsburgh Penguins was relatively minor for the hockey world but fairly large for the Penguins. And not insignificant for the San Jose Sharks, either.
Tuesday afternoon, the Penguins traded goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and his $2.5 million salary for one more season to San Jose in exchange for a third-round pick in 2028.
The move gives the Sharks a goalie capable of being a competent 1A-type goalie, and the Penguins added their 28th pick over the next three drafts. The Penguins trade also clears an NHL roster spot for one of the younger goalies to make the NHL roster, such as Joel Blomqvist or Sergei Murashov.
Nedeljkovic, 29, resurrected his career with the Penguins after a rough two-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings, in which they waived him and sent him to the AHL. However, with the Penguins, he played 38 games in each of the last two seasons, including leading the team on the frantic late charge to nearly make the playoffs at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Last season, he posted a .894 save percentage as the Penguins’ goalies struggled behind porous defensive play. Overall, he posted a 3.05 goals-against average in two seasons with the Penguins and an .898 save percentage.
Nedeljkovic became a popular figure among the fanbase and the locker room, even as he teased Steelers fans by wearing a jersey from his hometown Cleveland Browns after a big Browns victory over the Steelers last season. He also let his fiery competitive streak show when he was pulled from a game last season, slamming his stick over the crossbar and yelling at everyone on the bench.
Nedeljkovic joins Yaroslav Askarov as the other goalie on the Sharks’ NHL roster.Â