Detroit Red Wings place Alex Nedeljkovic on waivers

The Detroit Red Wings have made their decision in the crease for the short-term, as they placed Alex Nedeljkovic on waivers on Sunday.

The Red Wings had three goaltenders on their roster for a while, as they added Magnus Hellberg via waivers to their tandem of Ville Husso and Nedeljkovic that started the season. Husso has been playing like the clear cut starter in Detroit, and with the play of Hellberg recently, Nedeljkovic was the odd man out.

Nedeljkovic’s career in Detroit hasn’t been what many thought it would be, as it seemed like they may have gotten a goalie for the future. But he has struggled since joining, with a 20-24-9 record, a .901% save percentage and -11.52 goals saved above expected in 59 games last season, and he’s been even worse this year with a 2-4-2 record, an .880% save percentage, and -10.21 goals saved above expected.

But that’s not to say that he’s a lost cause either. He had an excellent rookie year with the Carolina Hurricanes, with a 15-5-3 record, a .932% save percentage and 13.25 goals saved above expected, showing that he does have the ability to play well, especially if he has a solid defense in front of him. With only one year left on a $3 million contract, he could be an interesting player for a playoff team looking for goaltending to take a flyer on.

A second round pick by the Hurricanes in 2014, Nedeljkovic joined the Red Wings in 2021 when he was dealt for the rights to Jonathan Bernier and a 2021 third round pick, which the Hurricanes used to select defenseman Aidan Hreschuk. The Hurricanes were not able to sign Bernier, and he ended up signing with the New Jersey Devils before suffering what seems to be a career-ending injury.

In addition to Nedeljkovic, the Dallas Stars placed winger Nick Caamano on waivers.