ALEX NEDELJKOVIC, DETROIT RED WINGS
Nedeljkovic was one of the best stories of last season. When injuries opened a door in Carolina, the 25-year-old stepped between the pipes and led the Canes to the top spot in the Central and the third-best record overall. Aer posting a 15-5-3 mark to go along with a league-leading 1.90 GAA and .932 save percentage it looked like he was perfectly positioned as the team's goalie of the future. Instead, Carolina shocked their Caniacs by dealing him to the Red Wings for a thirdround pick. at the team was willing to dump Nedeljkovic for so little aer developing him for seven seasons raises a red flag. Clearly, they felt the small sample size of last season wasn't worth investing in. Collectors should find that lack of faith disturbing. It's also true he'll be hard-pressed to maintain that success rate on a rebuilding Detroit squad that's destined to lose more games than they win. Still, there's excitement brewing in Detroit as the team takes another step toward respectability. And when things are going well, that market is as good as any in the hockey hobby. It might be worth taking a long view on his cards, with expectations that he'll struggle early on but have a chance at success before his new, three-year deal expires. Nedeljkovic has seven RCs in 2017-18 issues, including e Cup (#145) and SP Authentic (#181). It's worth noting that his breakthrough coincided with the pandemic-related slowdowns at BGS and PSA, which means only a handful of his cards have been slabbed. Fewer than 40 of his RCs – combined – are in circulation, so a hot start in Detroit could lead to significant market pressure.