Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic discusses his return to Pittsburgh Penguins practice for the first time since his injury in late October. The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season and one of the biggest areas of concern was the goaltending depth. There has always been faith in Tristan Jarry as the Penguins starting netminder, but after him last year sat Casey DeSmith as backup and Dustin Tokarski as the third string. In the seasons before then, Louis Domingue and Maxime Legace worked as the third string goalies. During his first summer as Penguins’ president and general manager, Kyle Dubas made it a point to revamp the goaltending depth and make sure there are three solid options between the pipes. Dubas took a risk by handing a five-year contract to Jarry, cementing him as the no doubt starter. After Jarry, though, Dubas went to work; he penned Alex Nedejkovic as the backup looking to revitalize his career and Magnus Hellberg as a sizable veteran option as third string. Entering the season, both Dubas and head coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged that having at least three useful goaltenders is key to a successful team. Between injuries and performance, more and more teams have begun utilizing three goalies on the regular. “It’s a vitally important position,” Sullivan said. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/off-day-sullivan-11-15-23-6341194210112] “Magnus has done a terrific job when he’s come in.” Not even out of November, the Penguins have had to utilize all three of those netmidners, and at one point recalled prospect Joel Blomqvist to serve as backup for a game. Hellberg has appeared in three games and holds a 1-0-0 record but also helped secure a combined shutout over the Anaheim Ducks. Sullivan spoke extremely highly of Hellberg’s energy and enthusiasm he brings to the rink every day, calling it infectious and something the entire team feeds off of. “He competes hard,” Sullivan said. “He’s a good sized kid that takes up an awful lot of space. He made some timely saves for us in the time that he’s been in.” Soon enough, Nedeljkovic should come back from a lower-body injury and the Penguins will be back to a two-goalie system. If things like injuries pop up again, however, they know Hellberg (and even Blomqvist if they need to) are ready and waiting to contribute in any way they can. “The depth at the position is essential in today’s game,” Sullivan said. “Do we feel better about it with where we are at today? For sure.” Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins Finding Identity in Bottom of Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-finding-identity-bottom-lineup] Penguins Forward Still Hunting For First Goal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-rickard-rakell-hunting-first-goal] Evgeni Malkin Returns for Penguins Morning Skate [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/evgeni-malkin-returns-pittsburgh-penguins-morning-skate] Penguins Backup Netminder Nearing Return to Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-alex-nedeljkovic-nearing-return-lineup] Penguins vs. Devils: Continuing To Surge [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-new-jersey-devils-continuing-surge] * undefined * undefined
