The hockey world was buzzing Thursday afternoon when the Red Wings acquired Alex Nedeljkovic from the Hurricanes for Jonathan Bernier and a third-round pick.
To wit: a 25-year-old Calder Trophy finalist who just led the NHL in save percentage and goals against average for a 32-year-old netminder headed for unrestricted free agency and the 94th overall pick in this year's draft.
How? Why?
What was Carolina thinking?
"You’d have to ask them why they were comfortable doing that," Yzerman said shortly thereafter. "I don’t know. For us, we had a decision to make."
It couldn't have been a very hard one. The Red Wings knew they needed a goalie to pair with Thomas Greiss next season. They knew the goalies in their system are, as Yzerman said, "probably a ways off from playing in the NHL." They knew Nedeljkovic was a good fit both now and in the future based on his age, his performance last season and the impression he left behind during his junior hockey days in Plymouth. They knew they had draft picks to spare.
"We're excited about it," said Yzerman, which is about as excited as Yzerman the GM gets. "He did very well this year."
In his first significant opportunity in the NHL, Nedeljkovic posted a .932 save percentage and a 1.90 goals against average in 23 games. And there's the catch: 23 games. He did put up similarly strong numbers in nine playoff games, but he's got work to do to prove he's for real.
Nedeljkovic wasn't even with the Hurricanes when last season began. He only got a chance because of an injury to Petr Mrazek. He was called up in February and never looked back. It's possible the Red Wings' former goalie of the future paved the way for their next one.
"We thought with Thomas Greiss under contract for one more season, try to bring in a younger goaltender that has some upside and has potential to be our starter for a number of years," said Yzerman. "He’s relatively inexperienced at the NHL level, but we think he’s got real potential."
Of the missing pieces in the Red Wings' rebuild, goalie has always loomed large. The mere acquisition of Nedeljkovic doesn't change that. He's an undersized netminder -- there's the other catch -- whose track record of success amounts to about a quarter of a full season. But it changes what might be. Nedeljkovic is more than a stopgap, like Greiss or Bernier. He's a natural addition to the pieces already in place.
"He’s at a good age where we think he can develop with our core of young players and be a good goaltender for a long time," Yzerman said.
Shortly after the trade, the Wings inked Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $6 million deal. And just in case the buzz was subsiding, the money was actually less than what he was seeking on an annual basis from Carolina. Detroit will only have $6.6 million in cap space committed to its starting goalies next season, one of whom might be a rising star.
It's hard to say what Carolina was thinking, other than perhaps they didn't believe in Nedeljkovic's breakout season. And maybe they had good reasons not to, reasons the Wings will learn soon. But Yzerman was thinking about next season and several beyond it, and his decision feels like the right one.
"Obviously, we have high hopes for Alex," he said. "Everyone in our organization is familiar with him through his local ties, so we know his character, his work ethic, his competitiveness, And watching him play this year, we thought it was a good opportunity to get a younger goaltender still with upside who can help us win more games."