Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Goalie To San Jose Sharks

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a major decision about their goaltending, choosing to move forward with Tristan Jarry as the de facto starter in goal.

In doing so, they've ended the tenure of goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic with the team, trading him today to the San Jose Sharks for a 3rd round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft.

With the acquisition of the draft pick, the Penguins now have a total of 28 picks over the next 3 drafts, including 16 in the 1st round.

Nedeljkovic went 14-15-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .894 SV% this year with the Penguins, who missed the postseason for the 3rd straight year.

He appeared to have unseated Jarry as the starter, taking over the responsibilities in 2023-24 with a strong 2nd half of the year and getting the bulk of the starts as Pittsburgh came within striking distance of a postseason spot.

This year, the Penguins waived Jarry and sent him to the AHL, though he eventually returned to Pittsburgh.

Nedeljkovic, who had earned a new 2-year deal thanks to his performance in 2023-24, did not perform as he did the previous year, which earned him the contract, and posted disappointing numbers.

The Penguins now appear set on moving forward with Jarry as the starter, while youngsters Joel Blomqvist will compete for the backup position along with 2022 NHL Entry Draft selection Sergei Murashov.

Nedeljkovic will be paired with Yaroslav Askarov and compete for the starting job for the rebuilding Sharks.