On myriad levels, Alex Nedeljkovic can relate to what Tristan Jarry is currently going through.
Jarry, the Penguins’ primary starting goalie for the last five seasons, was placed on waivers Wednesday afternoon. Exactly two years ago, on Jan. 15, 2023, Nedeljkovic was also placed on waivers while he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization.
Like Jarry, Nedeljkovic failed to live up to expectations after inking a multiyear contract, albeit a less lavish one. Nedeljkovic did his best after Wednesday’s practice in Cranberry not to talk too much about himself yet couldn’t ignore the parallels between him and Jarry.
"The timing is eerily similar in what had happened,” Nedeljkovic said. “It's frustrating. It's hard to accept in the moment and it was tough.”
It remains to be seen what exactly Jarry’s fate will be. Should Jarry clear waivers, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said he would be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. When Nedeljkovic went unclaimed two years ago, going to the AHL on a full-time basis was his fate.
Nedeljkovic spent three months with Grand Rapids, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, and appeared in just five more games with the Red Wings that season before signing a one-year deal with the Penguins in the summer of 2023. The veteran netminder’s NHL career was teetering at the time, yet he was able to revitalize it elsewhere with a fine 2023-24 campaign in Pittsburgh.
Speaking from personal experience, Nedeljkovic believes Jarry could return to form with a different organization should that be the path that awaits the two-time All-Star goalie.
“You just hope for him that if he gets an opportunity somewhere else, it's a fresh start,” Nedeljkovic said. “And if not, you go and just take every day as it comes, one day at a time and try to get better each and every day. Stay consistent, and that's all you can do."
While Jarry’s Penguins future remains in flux, the franchise will embark on a distinctly different path. Dubas said rookie goalie Joel Blomqvist will be recalled from the AHL to form a tandem with Nedeljkovic. Blomqvist, 23, impressed across the eight NHL games he appeared in earlier this year and posted a .904 save percentage, as well as a 3.60 goals-against average (GAA).
The division of labor between Nedeljkovic and Blomqvist remains to be seen. Several Penguins players expressed their confidence in either netminder regardless. But for captain Sidney Crosby, it’s less about who is between the pipes than it is putting the Penguins goalies in better positions.
“We can’t give up breakaways or quality chances the way we are and expect them to be able to fight that off every night,” Crosby said. “It’s up to us to be better in front of them.”
Still, it hasn’t exactly been a banner year for the Penguins on the goaltending front outside of Jarry’s well-documented struggles. Per MoneyPuck, Nedeljkovic has saved minus-7.2 goals above expected this season, which ranks 79th out of 90 qualifying NHL goalies. Jarry slotted in at 86th with minus-9.5 goals saved above expected.
Unsurprisingly, Nedeljkovic has taken a bit of a step back in terms of on-ice statistics. His GAA has ballooned from 2.97 in 2023-24 to 3.40 this year, and Nedeljkovic’s save percentage has plummeted, too.
Without Jarry around, though, Nedeljkovic figures to get a good chunk of the starts alongside Blomqvist. Coach Mike Sullivan conveyed his support for both netminders.
“We’re hopeful that these guys are going to give us timely saves that are going to give us a chance to win,” Sullivan said. “Joel has played extremely well throughout the course of the season here. He’s had some good games up here in Pittsburgh.
“He’s played well at the AHL level and he’s going to get an opportunity to try to help this team win.”
At least for the foreseeable future, depending on how things shake out on the waiver wire, Jarry will no longer be afforded such opportunities. It’s a particularly difficult situation to come to grips with for Nedeljkovic, who hadn’t yet communicated with Jarry following Wednesday’s practice, though he intended to reach out.
Nedeljkovic considered Jarry not just a great teammate but also a friend from their time together over the last year and a half. No matter what awaits Jarry, Nedeljkovic will continue to be a supporter of his — whether that’s from inside the dressing room or from afar.
“It's not like he doesn't know what he's doing. It's not like he's forgotten how to play,” Nedeljkovic said of Jarry. “He's just going through a rough patch right now, and that's unfortunate. But we're going to do everything we can as teammates to help him get through this — and as people, as well.
“Just as a person to try to help him get through it and come out better for it.”
First Published: January 15, 2025, 8:39 p.m.
Updated: January 16, 2025, 3:00 a.m.