Firstly, want to say thank you to Ned and good luck in San Jose. When the Penguins signed him, few imagined he would supplant Tristan Jarry as the Penguins' starting netminder. Was Ned an all-star? No. Was he an average goaltender? Debatable but he played hard and was servicable given the circumstances.
Alex Nedeljkovic on coming to San Jose: I didn't really expect the trade to kind of happen, so I guess just a little bit surprised. Anytime you get traded, a
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) July 2, 2025
little bit of surprise comes (with it). But definitely very excited. It's going to be a great opportunity to play some…
It is also challenging for any person to move themselves and their family across the country for a job, so I sympathize with that. I remember how challenging it was to move just myself from New York to Texas for grad school, I could not imagine moving my entire family from Pennsylvania to California.
In San Jose, Ned will compete with Yaroslav Askarov for the starting role, so he will definitely see a bump in playing time in the Bay Area.
For the Penguins, this is a good trade. Firstly, trading Ned opens up $2.5 million in cap, which is always a good thing to do. Also, netting a third-round pick for a backup goalie is a great return. The Penguins now have 16 selections in the first three rounds in the next three drafts and 28 overall.
Lastly, by trading Ned, this leaves the backup spot wide open for Joel Blomqvist and the full-time AHL starter position available for Sergei Murashov. Young goalies need reps, and especially in the case of Murashov, he will take the next step in his development. He has gone from the starter in Wheeling to splitting time in Wiles to now being the unquestioned starter for the baby Penguins.