The San Jose Sharks have signed netminder Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $3MM AAV contract extension, according to a team announcement.
Nedeljkovic, who is repped by Rich Evans of Wasserman, was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, at the expiration of the two-year, $2.5MM AAV deal he signed in the summer of 2024. The deal contains a $1MM signing bonus for its first year, per PuckPedia.
The Sharks acquired Nedeljkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer for a third-round pick, with the intent of pairing him with star young netminder Yaroslav Askarov. Nedeljkovic has been the less-used goalie in the tandem, playing in 26 games compared to Askarov’s 38.
Despite the smaller workload, he’s acquitted himself well in San Jose, going 11-9-2 with a .902 save percentage. Those are similar numbers to what he posted in 2023-24 with the Penguins, though he did take a step back in 2024-25, which prompted his trade to California
With Nedeljkovic now signed for an additional two years, it appears the Sharks are content to move forward with their current tandem of him and Askarov. The team does have top goalie prospect Joshua Ravensbergen waiting in the wings, but he’ll likely take a few more years to reach the NHL, with a stop developing in college hockey still to come.
If all goes according to plan, this Nedeljkovic signing will bridge the Sharks to the point where Ravensbergen may be NHL-ready, and give the team a veteran option in the crease while its younger goalies continue to develop.
From a financial perspective, this signing represents a modest pay raise for Nedeljkovic, and is hardly an unfair cap hit for what he provides on the ice. While he has been prone to bouts of inconsistent play at times in his NHL career, he’s shown enough throughout his over 200 contests at the game’s highest level to lend confidence to the idea that he still has several more years of quality play ahead of him. With today’s signing, at least two of those years will now be spent in San Jose.
Love this signing. Askarov has been really streaky and Ned has been a stabilizing presence.
I’m still not sure if Askarov is the real deal yet. He looks like he has *potential*, but he really gotta lock in and stay consistent. If he doesn’t improve from here, I think he projects more as a backup or 1B.
I didn’t know the famous Rich Evans was also a sports agent! What can’t he do?