Carolina Hurricanes swap goalies with Detroit Red Wings in trade
The Carolina Hurricanes will have a new goaltending look next season.
Alex Nedeljkovic, who stepped forward as a rookie last season and became a Calder Trophy finalist for the Canes, has been traded to the Detroit Red Wings, the team announced Thursday. Nedeljkovic has been given a two-year contract by the Wings that will pay him $3 million a season.
In return, the Red Wings sent the rights to veteran goalie Jonathan Bernier and a third-round 2021 draft pick to the Hurricanes.
Bernier is due to become an unrestricted free agent July 28 when NHL free agency begins. He carried a $3 million cap hit the past three seasons.
Bernier, 32, was 9-11-1 with the Red Wings in the 2020-21 season, with a 2.99 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. A veteran of 394 NHL games, he has a career record of 161-159-39, with a 2.77 GAA and .913 save percentage.
Nedeljkovic, 25, went from the waiver wire to having a breakout season in 2020-21. He started 23 games, closed 15-5-3, with a 1.90 GAA and .932 save percentage. In addition to being one of three Calder Trophy finalists, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.
Nedeljkovic, a second-round draft pick by Carolina in 2014, also played enough games to qualify as a restricted free agent. He has arbitration rights, assuring a sizable salary bump from the $750,000 salary he had in 2020-21.
Canes goalies Petr Mrazek and James Reimer also will become UFAs on July 28.
The Hurricanes reached the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2018-19 with Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney sharing the net, then had Mrazek and Reimer in net during the 2019-20 season. Mrazek missed a big chunk of the 2020-21 season after thumb surgery, allowing Nedeljkovic the opportunity to jump in net and build up starts.
Bernier, who won a Stanley Cup in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings, beat the Canes three times in the condensed 2020-21 season. The third win came on a 38-save performance April 12 in a 3-1 victory at PNC Arena in which he was named the game’s first star.
Bernier had a career-high 50 saves on April 24 against the Dallas Stars, the first 50-save game for a Detroit goalie since Jimmy Howard in January 2010.
This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 1:55 PM.
