Penguins activate goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from IR, assign him to AHL for conditioning

The Pittsburgh Penguins activated goalie Alex Nedeljkovic from injured reserve Thursday morning, assigning him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on a conditioning loan.

Nedeljkovic suffered an undisclosed injury during the preseason and began the year on injured reserve.

The 28-year-old has been on the ice in practice for the Penguins but has not participated in any of the club’s usual drills, line rushes or special teams work.

Nedeljkovic was signed to a two-year extension in June worth $2.5 million annually.

Last season for the Penguins, he went 18-7-7 with a 2.97 goals-against average and .902 save percentage, effectively taking over as the No. 1 goalie during the stretch run.

When Nedeljkovic is ready to return to the NHL, the Penguins will have a tricky goaltending decision on their hands.

Starter Tristan Jarry has been ineffective this season, going 1-1 with a 5.47 GAA and .833 save percentage. Meanwhile, rookie Joel Blomqvist has performed capably, going 2-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .913 save percentage.

Keeping three goalies on the NHL roster is unusual, though Blomqvist’s $886,667 cap hit might make it more bearable.

Nedeljkovic played one game on a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as he recovered from an injury last season, and it was memorable. He became the first AHL goalie to score two career goals when he found the net during a 4-2 victory over the Providence Bruins on Nov. 17.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is Friday evening at home vs. the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Note: The Penguins had a scheduled off day Thursday.