Coming into the season, goaltending was expected to be an issue for the Carolina Hurricanes. With the Hurricanes on the rise as one of the best young teams in the league, their issues in net were considered to be one of the things that could hold them back. After Petr Mrazek went down with an injury just a few games into the season, that concern was only amplified and it seemed as though a trade for a legitimate starter would be inevitable.
However, Alex Nedeljkovic has managed to take advantage of the opportunity and has provided the team with another option. Nedeljkovic, who Carolina selected 37th overall in 2014, had a rough 2019-20 season and despite past success, it was hard to tell if he was going to be able to make the jump to the NHL. After three somewhat underwhelming games to start the season, Nedeljkovic has been great, posting a .943 save percentage in his last seven games and a .926 save percentage in 10 games overall.
So now with Mrazek set to return, what’s the plan for the Hurricanes?
Mrazek had a great start before being injured (despite a small sample size), posting two shutouts in three full games. James Reimer, on the other hand, has posted a .907 save percentage in 16 games this season
I think the Hurricanes have to continue to roll with Nedeljkovic, given that they’re finally getting quality goaltending. Additionally, with the expansion draft looming and all three goaltenders on expiring contracts, the organization needs to ensure they have a good idea of how Nedeljkovic will factor in going forward.
Given that Mrazek has been the team’s starter since 2018 and had a strong start, I’d imagine he gets a pretty good opportunity to take back his job once he gets back from injury. If he performs well, this could leave Reimer, who’s started the majority of Carolina’s games this season, potentially on the outside looking in.
So while Nedeljkovic’s play has been key for Carolina’s success, it means the Hurricanes will have some decisions to make in the near future.
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Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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