Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Hurricanes trade Alex Nedeljkovic to Red Wings

July 22, 2021, 4:49 PM ET [44 Comments]
Ben Shelley
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Hurricanes on Twitter: @HB_Canes


The Carolina Hurricanes have traded goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the Detroit Red Wings, in exchange for a third-round pick in this year’s draft and the rights to goaltender Jonathan Bernier.


Nedeljkovic is 25 years old and was great with the Hurricanes this season, posting a .932 save percentage in 23 games. The strong season led to him being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Since the time of the trade, Nedeljkovic has signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings, with a $3 million cap hit.

Bernier is 32 years old and is a pending unrestricted free agent. He posted a .914 save percentage in 24 games with Detroit this season.

I’ll give more of a breakdown on this trade in the coming days but for some quick thoughts: this was a horrible decision for the Hurricanes to make. Nedeljkovic was reportedly asking for $3.5 million per season from Carolina, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, which was completely reasonable. If the Hurricanes weren’t even willing to pay a price like this for Nedeljkovic, I can’t see how they’ll actually be able to continue building a contender in the coming years, without being willing to pay fair value for their players. Nedeljkovic had the potential to be the team’s long-term starting goalie and to trade him away for nothing, just as Carolina had seemingly finally found a solution in net, is a decision that could set the team back by quite a bit. This is an embarrassing move for the Hurricanes.



***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Hurricanes Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Canes for updates on articles, Hurricanes news, etc.***

Do you like this trade for the Hurricanes?
Yes
No
Created with QuizMaker


OTHER ARTICLES FROM JULY

Hurricanes could reportedly trade Foegele, let Martinook walk as UFA
Which of the Hurricanes’ UFAs will return?
Predicting Alex Nedeljkovic’s next contract
Who will the Hurricanes lose in the Expansion Draft?
Martin Necas is on his way to becoming Hurricanes’ next star forward
Hurricanes sign Jack Drury
Revisiting the Vincent Trocheck trade
Should the Hurricanes buy out Jake Gardiner's contract?
Dean Chynoweth hired by Maple Leafs
Hurricanes acquire goaltender Dylan Wells from Oilers
Hurricanes re-sign Morgan Geekie
Hurricanes' protected list revealed, Bean and Niederreiter left exposed
Hurricanes could regret protecting Brady Skjei over Jake Bean
Hurricanes’ defense group could look very different next season
Seattle will reportedly select Morgan Geekie from Hurricanes
Join the Discussion: » 44 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Ben Shelley
» Hurricanes extend win streak to six games with 4-2 victory over Capitals
» Hurricanes dominate Bruins for 8-2 victory, extend win streak to five games
» Hurricanes riding four-game win streak following successful road trip
» Canes sweep Alberta section of road trip with wins over Oilers and Flames
» Hurricanes split weekend back-to-back with win over Penguins, loss to Blues