Alex Nedeljkovic signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $2.5 million.
The 28-year-old goalie was 18-7-7 with a 2.97 goals-against average, .902 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games (33 starts) for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. He could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Nedeljkovic signed a one-year contract with the Penguins on July 1, 2023, and backed up Tristan Jarry this season. Pittsburgh (38-32-12) finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division and missed qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs by three points. They went 8-2-2 in their final 12 games.
"I think if you've got good chemistry, good relationships with everybody, it's really easy to want to play for the guy next to you and have fun and come to the rink and be excited about coming to the rink. So yeah, I'd love to come back," Nedeljkovic said on April 18 during their season-ending media availability. "I'd love to be back in a Penguins' sweater and pick up where we left off this year. We left off on a high note, we've played some good hockey lately, and it's hard to not want to come back and play with the guys that you have in this room."
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (No. 37) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Nedeljkovic is 60-45-22 with a 2.96 GAA, .906 save percentage and eight shutouts in 141 regular-season games (125 starts) for the Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Hurricanes and 4-5 with a 2.17 GAA, .920 save percentage and one shutout in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games.
