Detroit Red Wings fans excited, Hurricanes fans incensed after Nedeljkovic trade

Detroit Free Press

Steve Yzerman is ruining lives in North Carolina. Or at least ruining the days of those who love Carolina hockey.

Detroit Red Wings fans are jigging and Carolina Hurricanes fans are considering jumping ship after a trade between the two teams Thursday. Yzerman, Detroit’s general manager, sent goalie Jonathan Bernier and a third-round 2021 pick (No. 94 overall) to Carolina for Alex Nedeljkovic. (Then Yzerman signed him to a contract that pays $3 million each of the next two seasons, an amount apparently too high for the Canes).

Hurricanes followers had to be somewhat happy to get the extra pick, but it’s easy to understand why they weren’t as excited about a playoff team trading away a goaltender with a goals-against average under 2 for a goalie who is a pending free agent with a GAA approaching 3.

Not to mention, Nedeljkovic is seven years younger than Bernier (who, for what it’s worth, wasn’t exactly playing behind the Russian Five as the Wings tied for the fewest points in their division).

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Nedeljkovic posted a .932 save percentage in 23 games last season, about 20 points higher than Bernier. Seems like solid value in exchange for a third-rounder and a goalie who’s not your goalie of the future — and may have been leaving anyhow.

Everyone from league observers to bloggers for uninvolved teams to fans seems love this trade for the Wings and the contract for Nedeljkovic.

Now to the tweets:

These graphs and numbers just mean this guy is really good:

A classic .gif for one-sided trades:

These folks are less than pleased:

As they say in hockey… let’s do that hockey!

 

Follow the Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for more news. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@freepress.com or on Twitter @TDavisFreep.

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