In most cases, every NHL team finds long-term success based on the play of their goaltender. This stage is the biggest in the playoffs, with every goal, game, and series mattering more than the last. A goalie can steal a game -and sometimes even a series -that propels that team into the next round. Needless to say, the goalie position is not one in which a team can afford lacklustre play. Today we take a look into the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending situation.
Assessing the Penguins Goaltending
The Penguins goaltending situation underwent a change. It’s important to note because it may prove to be the team’s Achilles heel as we head into this upcoming season. With prior backup Casey DeSmith being shipped to the Montreal Canadiens, that puts even more pressure on current starter Tristan Jarry. The blockbuster trade that was initiated on July 6th left the Penguins more exposed at the position. This leads us to the current state of the 2023-2024 Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending.
The Back Up
Alex Nedeljkovic is listed as the current backup in the depth chart. He was drafted 37th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He showed impressive play during his time in Carolina. It also helped that be benefitted from a robust defence backing him up on the blueline. During his 4 seasons with Carolina, he boasted a .928 SV% and maintained a 2.01 GAA. In addition, he had 29 games played with the Hurricanes, he went 17-7. The beginning of his career appeared to show much promise. He was confident, flashed a quick glove, and was able to settle within the Carolina system.
Time in the Motor City
This is where the Penguins goaltending situation gets tricky. When he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 2021, things took a turn. He was expected to be the Red Wings starting netminder. He went from manning the starting position in the 2021 NHL playoffs to splitting his time between the NHL and AHL in the 2022-2023 season. In his 2 seasons with the Red Wings, he played in 74 NHL games. In those 74 games, he went 25-31 with a .900 SV% and a 3.35 GAA, which was most definitely a drop-off from his tenure in Carolina. However, it’s also important to keep in mind the Red Wings defensive performance as a whole.
Detroit ranked among the bottom overall teams defensively this past season. They were the middle of the pack on penalty killing at 78.1 percent, allowed 30.44 shots per game. They also allowed 275 goals last season resulting in an overall GAA of 3.35 for the team. The Red Wings just weren’t as defensively sound as Carolina. That, and the change of system, could have caused Nedeljkovic’s struggles. After his disappointing 2022-2023 season, he would get the opportunity for a fresh start in Pittsburgh, signing with the Penguins on a one year “prove it” contract.
The Bottom Line
Overall, my analysis of Nedeljkovic is that he is a walking question mark. This fits in with the sentiment towards the netminder he is backing up. The Parma, OH native showed flashes of “starting goalie” quality play in Carolina. Then, there is the fact that he struggles behind an equally struggling defense; he’s unable to be the goalie that “steals” a game and take over control of a game under his own accord.
One factor that he has going for him is that the Pittsburgh Penguins just bolstered their blueline with the recent acquisition of superstar defencemen, Erik Karlsson. Playing behind a more consistent blueline, given the fresh start, and a change of scenery might be the boost he needs to improve his game.
There is potential in Nedeljkovic. But that’s all it is at the moment. Potential. Until that potential is realized -if it’s realized- it is uncertain how his time in Pittsburgh will go. He just doesn’t bring enough to the table to feel confident he can be a strong backup in the net for Jarry. And, depending on how Jarry fares, that relief may be much needed for the Penguins between the pipes.
The Starter
Consistency is the keyword for Jarry’s performance in the 2022-2023 season. This past season, he had played 47 games despite dealing with a nagging injury. In those 47 games played, he put up a .909 SV% with a 2.90 GAA.
Tristan Jarry says ABSOLUTELY NOT. pic.twitter.com/h9EZsQgylJ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 9, 2022
This lack of performance was attributed to the injuries that he was dealing with while on the ice. At the same time, the fact remains that if you look at the bigger picture, Jarry is just an inconsistent goalie with or without injuries. Jarry began getting more opportunities in the 2019-2020 season.
Regular and Postseason Numbers
Per Hockey Reference, this proved to be an outstanding season, as he was named an All-Star and in the running for the Hart and Vezina trophies respectively. He took a dip the following season with a .909 SV% in 39 games in the 2020-2021 season. Jarry then returned to form the season after that with a .919 save percentage in 58 games played. He was named a team All-Star for the 2021-2022 season while also being in the running for the Vezina trophy. Unfortunately, Jarry would not even come close to those numbers when focusing on post-season stats.
The reality is; Jarry doesn’t have much in the way of postseason experience. That is really saying something, considering the fact that he has been with the Penguins since the 2016-2017 season. Tristan Jarry has only played in 8 postseason games in his entire NHL career. In those 8 games played, he went 2-7 with a .867 SV% and 3.71 GAA.
Woof.
Now this is also due to -you guessed it- injury. Jarry is very solid when he is healthy and on top of his game. That potential is there. However, he has proven to be “injury prone”…not necessarily a label that you want to put on you as a professional athlete, especially a goaltender.
The Bottom Line
His tenure with the Penguins has been a series of “ups and downs”. Fans have been riding the Jarry rollercoaster and many wanted off going into this off-season. However, with the 5 year contract extension penned, Jarry is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
It seems as though this contract is the reflection of the current state of the goalie market, it does show that a gamble was made by Kyle Dubas. Time will tell if this contract will leave the Penguins front office holding the bag.
The Current State
Looking at the entire Penguins goaltending situation shows that a massive bet has been placed by the Penguins. To put faith into goaltenders like Nedelkjovic and Jarry is most certainly a bold strategy. It is so hard to speculate how this will turn out. There are many unanswered questions still at play: How will the new defensive pieces fit in the Penguins lineup? Are the Penguins able or willing to add forward depth in the remaining days of the offseason? Can Jarry stay healthy throughout the bulk of the season and into the postseason?
There really is very little that is “warm and fuzzy” about this goaltending situation. Many question marks, red flags, and overall unknowns exist. Many unknowns that can only be answered with this season’s upcoming on ice performance. With that being said, the star power is with their forwards and defensive pairings. The Penguins plan seems to be to just throw caution to the wind in the net and just ride it out. So, let’s ride.
Main Photo: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
