The Pittsburgh Penguins did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive season, extending an unwanted streak to two years after skating in 16 straight postseason campaigns.
So, with Alex Nedeljkovic about to hit free agency after singlehandedly dragging the Penguins to within a few periods of a playoff berth, General Manager Kyle Dubas put pen to paper and gave the 28-year-old netminder a two-year contract valued at $5 million.
Meanwhile, rumors began circulating in the internet's far reaches that incumbent starter Tristan Jarry was available. At 29, he still has four seasons left on his deal at $5.375 million, and he carries a modified no-trade clause.
Last season, the duo shared the crease with Magnus Hellberg for three games. Collectively, the group produced a 3.02 GAA and .903 SV%.
According to ESPN statistics, the Penguins produced the 16th-best SV% and 13th-best GAA. Those numbers were almost on par with those of the 2022-23 season when they ranked 19th in GAA and 14th in SV%.
Despite tying for the NHL lead with six shutouts, Jarry had his worst numbers as a starter, plus he had his first losing season at 19-25-5.
Nedeljkovic, meanwhile, had his best campaign since 2020-21 since he was named to the All-Rookie Team, finishing 18-7-7 with a .902 SV% and 2.97 GAA with one shutout.
He had a bounceback campaign and started the final 14 games of the season, producing an 8-1-3 record. His GAA was 2.71, but his SV% was an area of concern at just .899.
Comparably, the four goalies who played in the Stanley Cup Final had an SV% over .903, which was the Penguins' average for the regular season.
- Stuart Skinner (Edmonton) .905 SV%
- Calvin Pickard (Edmonton) .909 SV%
- Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida) .915 SV%
- Anthony Stolarz (Florida) .925 SV%
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, based on SV% numbers alone, which tandem hoisted the Stanley Cup, despite how close the score was in the end.
Good goalies help teams achieve playoff spots, while elite goalies help clubs win the Stanley Cup.
The previous five winning goaltenders had at least a .915 SV% in the season they won.
- 2023 - Adin Hill (Vegas) .915 SV%
- 2022 - Darcy Kuemper (Colorado) .921 SV%
- 2021 - Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay) .925 SV%
- 2020 - Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay) .917 SV%
- 2019 - Jordan Binnington (St. Louis) .927 SV%
Despite all the talent in the lineup, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson, defense and goalies win championships.
Running it back with a tandem that barely finished with an SV% over .900 will not instill confidence in the fan base that Pittsburgh is a true Stanley Cup contender.
