The San Jose Sharks have acquired goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2028 third-round pick.
Nedeljkovic, 29, has spent the last two seasons with the Penguins, where he started a decent amount of games. Last season, he started in 35 games, appeared in 38, and had a record of 14-15-5 with a .894 SV% and a 3.12 GAA.
This trade essentially clears up the backup goalie role behind Yaroslav Askarov, who is the projected starter for the 2025-26 NHL season.
This is a good pickup for the Sharks because of what Nedeljkovic offers. Yes, he will be a backup for the Sharks, but if Askarov struggles or gets injured, Nedeljkovic can step in and start games. He has shown it his entire career, whether it was with the Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, or even the Carolina Hurricanes. He has stepped in when needed and given it his best effort to help his team win games.
It wouldn't be surprising if GM Mike Grier adds a few more players in trades similar to this to not only get to the cap floor, but also to help bring skilled players into the organization that want to better insulate their young core.
