As the Pittsburgh Penguins make headway toward the beginning of training camp, the organization seems to have more depth at the NHL level than it has in a few years.
And there is, perhaps, no position with more depth than goaltending.
On June 20, the Penguins re-signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, seemingly solidifying plans to run it back with the same goaltending tandem they had in 2023-24. Tristan Jarry, who signed a five-year, $26.875 million contract last summer and is on the hook for four more years, figures to occupy the other half of the tandem.
Welcome back, Ned!
The Penguins have re-signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year contract.
The contract runs through the 2025.26 season and carries an average annual value of $2.5 million.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 20, 2024
It’s no secret, however, that the Penguins’ tandem of Nedeljkovic and Jarry came with a mixed bag of results. Even though the Penguins ranked 13th in overall team goaltending with a combined .903 save percentage, their individual numbers hardly impressed.
Jarry ranked 36th among qualified goaltenders in save percentage at .903 and had a decent-but-not great 2.6 goals saved above expected, ranking 31st. Nedeljkovic ranked 39th in save percentage at .902. and turned in a mediocre -3.3 goals saved above expected.
In other words, although the tandem was okay, they could use some insurance. And they have that in the form of a few prospects who are knocking at the door in Joel Blomqvist, Taylor Gauthier, and Sergei Murashov.
Joel Blomqvist
Drafted: 2020 2nd-Round Pick (52nd overall), Pittsburgh
Age: 22
2023-24 Stats (AHL, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton): 25-12-6; .921 SV%; 2.16 GAA
Blomqvist, a 2024 AHL All-Star, appears ready to take the next step at the NHL level, which is what made the decision to bring back Nedeljkovic a bit puzzling. Blomqvist was recalled briefly by the Penguins on an emergency basis last season, but he did not make his NHL debut.
That should change this season. Blomqvist being on the cusp, especially with two other prospects waiting in the wings directly behind him, signals that the organization values having him as insurance for the NHL tandem. It could also potentially be a sign that GM and POHO Kyle Dubas plans to have a short leash and may explore trading one of his NHL goaltenders at some point this season to acquire more draft capital and/or prospects, which has been rumored for quite a while.
In any case, there is a lot to like about Blomqvist. His rebound…