Alex Nedeljkovic
My (quite obvious) #1 pick is Alex Nedeljkovic. A phenomenal goaltender, Nedeljkovic is all but guaranteed to draw into the Hurricanes’ roster this season as a backup to either Petr Mrazek or Curtis McElhinney. The goaltender finished out the regular season with a 2.26 GAA, and a save percentage of .916 in 51 games played.
The Hurricanes have a bit of an offseason puzzle to solve in the crease this summer. Mrazek and McElhinney have both been stellar all throughout the season and postseason for the Hurricanes. Both have played their hearts out, and both have provided the Hurricanes with the confidence they’ve needed in a consistent goaltender for so long.
Both are also unrestricted free agents this offseason. While I would personally love to see both of them return for the 2019-20 season, this scenario is highly unlikely, opening the door for Alex Nedeljkovic to begin his NHL career.
https://twitter.com/CheckersHockey/status/1129874480480833539
Nedeljkovic has been awarded the Aldege ‘Baz’ Bastien Memorial Award for Top Goaltender, as well as CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Year, and was also named to the First All-Star Team in the AHL this season. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love both Mrazek and McElhinney, and will be sad to see one go, but we can rest easy knowing Nedeljkovic is waiting in the wings to take up the mantle as a backup, and future goaltending superstar.
The Hurricanes have all the missing pieces to fix what went wrong this postseason. A bright future lies ahead, and I think I speak for all of us when I say I am so excited to welcome it. On top of potential free agent signings (*hint,hint* featured in a future article), the Hurricanes are set to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Question for CC Readers: Do you agree with my picks? Who would be your Top 5 Checkers to crack the Hurricanes’ roster next season?