When the Detroit Red Wings acquired Alex Nedeljkovic in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason, the hope was that he could be an everyday NHL goalie.
And after navigating the first 82-game slate of his career, Nedeljkovic proved he was capable of shouldering a bigger role.
“I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity to have played as much as I did this year,” Nedeljkovic said in his end-of-season media session. “I going to take a lot from it.”
Video: Alex Nedeljkovic | End of Season Media Availability
Nedeljkovic finished his debut season in Detroit with a 20-24-9 record, a 3.31 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He led all rookie netminders with four shutouts and finished second in wins in 2021-22.
“I came into the season with some goals in mind,” Nedeljkovic said. “Hit a few, missed on a few and mainly just want to be more consistent. That’s the goal for next year and the summer – to find a way to be more consistent and to have something every night, to give us a chance to win every night.”
Nedeljkovic wrapped up the season on a strong note, posting two shutouts in April. With a 17-save performance in Detroit’s 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on April 24, Nedeljkovic became the first Red Wings rookie goalie with at least four shutouts in a season since Roger Crozier had six in 1964-65.
Video: DET@NJD: Nedeljkovic powers Red Wings win with SO
“It’s my job to stop the puck,” Nedeljkovic said. “It’s my job to keep us in games and keep us in games every single night. I understand that, and if you want to be a great goalie in this league, you have to do that every single night.”
Nedeljkovic added that he tried bringing optimism into the dressing room every single day.
“I’m always trying to have a positive attitude, a positive mindset towards things,” the goalie said. “Obviously, it’s a lot easier when you’re winning. At the beginning of the year, we were doing really well and then in the second half, it becomes more difficult. But it’s always more difficult when you’re not having success, to have that positive mindset and outlook, but you have to.”
According to Nedeljkovic, maintaining a mental edge is a key factor for his success.
“For me, that’s the biggest thing – is worrying about myself,” Nedeljkovic said on March 17. “Not doing too much, especially mentally. It’s really, really easy for things to get away from you mentally.”
Nedeljkovic was largely successful against his former team last season, finishing with a 2-1 record and a 2.30 goals-against average in three starts against the Hurricanes.
Video: DET@CAR: Nedeljkovic blanks Hurricanes on the road
“Any time you can get a shutout in this league, it’s always special,” Nedeljkovic said after making 46 saves in Detroit’s 3-0 win over Carolina on April 14. “So maybe tonight, it was a little bit more.”
But no matter the opponent or end result, Nedeljkovic never shied away from embracing his self-confidence.
“I’ve got all the confidence in the world in myself to go out there every night, give those guys a chance to win and personally be one of the better goalies in the league,” Nedeljkovic said on April 1. “I’ve got a long way to go, but that’s how I view things and that’s not gonna change.”
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