Red Wings 2022-23 Wrap-Up: Alex Nedeljkovic

DETROIT -- Alex Nedeljkovic experienced highs and lows in his second season with the Detroit Red Wings, but the 27-year-old goalie focused on using every situation to improve and prove himself.

Struggling with consistency to start the 2022-23 campaign, Nedeljkovic was assigned to the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning on Jan. 4.

While disappointed, Nedeljkovic welcomed the opportunity to regain his confidence in the AHL. In 26 games with the Griffins this season, Nedeljkovic posted a 13-9-3 record with a 2.71 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and one shutout.

"I felt like I've kind of gotten back to myself," Nedeljkovic said about his conditioning stint with Grand Rapids. "I got back to what's worked for me in the past and what's made me successful."

Then due to injuries and/or uneven play between the pipes during the final stretch of the season, Detroit recalled Nedeljkovic on an emergency basis from Grand Rapids three separate times from March 3 - April 9.

"Circumstances gave him another opportunity," Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said. "And he seized it."

Nedeljkovic finished with a 5-7-2 record, 3.53 GAA and .895 SV% in 15 games with Detroit in 2022-23. For the 6-foot, 208-pound netminder, any opportunity to get between the pipes is "a chance to get better and prove something."

"You're always playing for something," Nedeljkovic said. "It doesn't matter if it's Game 82 and you're already out or whatever it is. It doesn't have to be some big Game 7 for it to mean something."

Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (37th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Nedeljkovic was acquired by the Red Wings in a trade on July 22, 2021. The Parma, Ohio, native has compiled a 42-38-15 career record with a 2.96 GAA, .907 SV% and seven shutouts in 103 games over parts of six NHL seasons with Carolina and Detroit since 2016-17.

Nedeljkovic, who is slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, said there is a culture being reestablished by the Red Wings that will help guide the club down the right path.

"Being drafted to Carolina, my first couple of years there, they were still trying to find an identity a little bit," Nedeljkovic said. "I think when Rod (Brind'Amour) took over, he brought the identity and culture he had when he was there and when they were winning a Stanley Cup. You can see it's starting to build here. Newsy (Lalonde) has done a good job of flipping the script a little bit. Everyone's been getting a little bit more experience."