The Penguins have re-signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year contract. The deal runs through the 2025-26 season and carries an average annual value of $2.5 million.
Nedeljkovic, 28, is coming off his first season in Pittsburgh after signing with the Penguins in free agency last summer. The American-born netminder put up solid numbers, going 18-7-7 with a 2.97 goals-against average and .902 save percentage, the best marks of his career since the 2020-21 season with the Hurricanes.
Nedeljkovic helped solidify the Penguins' goaltending down the stretch as the team charged toward an unlikely playoff push. Mike Sullivan ended up riding the hot hand with Nedeljkovic over Tristan Jarry, starting him in 13 of the final 14 games of the season. Of course, the Penguins wound up missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
During locker room cleanout day, the day after the final game of the season, Nedeljkovic expressed a desire to return to Pittsburgh ahead of potentially going through free agency in back-to-back summers.
"I had a great time. This is a great locker room. Everybody got along with everybody, and we had great chemistry on the ice," Nedeljkovic said. "Obviously, this last month we were playing some really great hockey, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with how things off the ice are going. I think if you've got, like I said, good chemistry, good relationships with everybody, it's really easy to want to play for the guy next to you and have fun and come to the rink and be excited about coming to the rink.
"So yeah, l'd love to come back. I'd love to be back in a Penguins' sweater and pick up where we left off this year. We left off on a high note -- well, you know, obviously it was a tough one last night -- but like I said, we've played some good hockey lately. And it's hard to not want to come back and play with the guys that you have in this room."
In re-signing Nedeljkovic, the Penguins have two NHL-caliber goaltenders under contract. This means they don't have to rush top goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist into an NHL role after his first season in North America, though there will be interest from fans to see him push for a spot in Pittsburgh in the upcoming season.
"(Blomqvist) had a great season, and he's a great prospect," Kyle Dubas told our Taylor Haase during the recent NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y. "At some point next year, we expect he'll make a strong push, whether that's earlier or midway through the year."
With Nedeljkovic under contract, the Penguins have $9,195,661 in cap space with 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders under contract and expected to be on the NHL roster. Free agency begins July 1 at 12 p.m.
Dejan Kovacevic has some thoughts on the signing.
