The Pittsburgh Penguins have inked Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $5M contract extension.
Frank Seravalli from the Daily Faceoff first broke the news. This deal means Pittsburgh will pay an annual cap hit of $2.5M for Nedeljkovic, totaling $7.875M between him and starter Tristan Jarry. Previously, Nedeljkovic was on a one-year, $1.5M contract and was about to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Last season, he played in 38 NHL games and secured 18 wins with a .902 save percentage. He proved himself as a reliable backup after spending much of the previous season in the minor leagues .
Contract Details and Future Prospects:
Nedeljkovic had a standout year in 2021-22 with the Detroit Red Wings, achieving 20 wins and a .901 save percentage over 59 games. That remains his only full season as an NHL starter, although he’s made appearances since the 2016-17 season. Now at age 28, he’s played in 141 NHL games with 60 wins and a .906 save percentage despite challenging conditions.
Fans might think this is a smart move by the Penguins to secure their goaltending depth.
The Penguins are happy with Nedeljkovic’s first year with them and have given him a slight raise along with more term to continue backing up Jarry, who is under contract until the end of the 2027-28 season. If Nedeljkovic performs well, he could maintain his role through Jarry’s tenure; however, top goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist might soon challenge him for that spot.
What do you think about this new deal?
