As a conditioning assignment while he heals from an undisclosed preseason injury, Nedeljkovic was sent to the American Hockey League affiliate on Thursday.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-3 at home on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre thanks to 33 saves on 36 shots from goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who made his season debut.
In practice, he joined Joel Blomqvist and the struggling Tristan Jarry as the third goalie. Nedeljkovic is expected to accompany the Penguins on their four-game journey across Western Canada, which starts in Winnipeg on Sunday.
After the Penguins' disastrous game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, they can surely use all the man power possible especially in front of the net if they want to win and progress this season.
Sadly, it seems like there are more questions than answers after six games. Hopefully, though, this upcoming road trip through Western Canada will help resolve some early-season problems.
A decision about the club's future must eventually be made. Someone in the organization's leadership must choose who will take the lead if these lifeless performances continue. In the end, a person can only purchase so many opportunities with their legacy and prior accomplishments.
With 38 games played for Pittsburgh in 2023-24, Nedeljkovic recorded an 18-7-7 record, 2.97 goals against average, and a .902 clip. In the offseason, the Penguins rewarded him a two-year, $5 million extension.
POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 19 | 134 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to Roster From Conditioning Will the Penguins play Alex Nedeljkovic on Sunday against the Jets? | ||
Yes | 112 | 83.6 % |
No | 22 | 16.4 % |
List of polls |