Training camp notebook: Nedeljkovic ready for opportunity with Red Wings

Alex Nedeljkovic was in the midst of a life-changing moment when he got a life-changing call.
He was home for the summer, getting ready to get married that day. When he and his then-fiancé were about to go meet the judge, a call came in from his agent, Richard Evans. Nedeljkovic had been traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Detroit Red Wings.

"She wasn't too happy when I picked up the phone at first and then when I told her what was going on, she was really excited," Nedelkovic said. "So it was kinda funny to see her reaction there and how quickly she switched from being a little pissed at me to being excited."
The deal came as a surprise, both to Nedeljkovic and to most onlookers, as the goaltender was coming off a rookie season in which, over 23 regular season games, he caught fire - winning 15, putting up stats that would have led the league over a full season and finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist.

On Friday, he sat with his arms crossed in front of a Zoom camera in Traverse City, two days into his first training camp with the Red Wings, talking about doors opening.
"It's a great opportunity," he said. "... There was an opening. Obviously (Jonathan) Bernier did a great job last year and then when that trade happened, the writing was on the wall. It was an opportunity for me to come in and hopefully play a lot of games."
Nedeljkovic does not come into camp as the declared starter by any stretch. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said both he and Thomas Greiss will get a chance to play, and unless one pulls away from the other, there could be a consistent rotation throughout the season.
At 25, though, Nedeljkovic is 10 years younger than his counterpart, and it's easy to see him being in Detroit for the long haul.
"This is a top class organization, they do everything right," Nedeljkovic said. "They're not cutting corners, obviously an Original Six team, they know how to do it. They've had a lot of success in the past. Just looking forward now to the challenge and hopefully getting back to that success."
There isn't much adjustment to a new team as a goaltender, Nedeljkovic said. His job is the same: keeping the puck from going in the net. Some things are still falling into place - his leg pads, for example, are stuck in transit on the way to Traverse City - but training camp is going to plan.
"You start off a season fresh and you got little things in the back of your head you'd like to work on but for the most part right now it's about being technically sound and doing the little things right, having good habits," Nedeljkovic said. "If you watch the drills, if you've been able to see the drills that you do beforehand, there's really not much to them. It's one shot, push over, another save on your chest and it's just getting the tight movement down, executing the right save selection, things like that. It's just very simple stuff that looks easy and it is easy. But if you don't work on it every now and then, it's gonna fall away a little bit."

Veleno growing into body

When Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman spoke to reporters ahead of training camp, he made sure to note the physical growth of Joe Veleno.
"I don't know if you had a chance to see him but he's pretty fit," Yzerman said. "Like, he's thick."
Indeed, Veleno is listed at 206 pounds, up from 198 previously, and Yzerman is far from the only one to notice.
"The physical gains are undeniable," Blashill said. "He's really made himself a man. He's turned his body into a pro body, into an NHL body. He's way bigger and stronger than he was two years ago so he can hold onto the puck, he can defend down low."

Added Moritz Seider, who played against Veleno when both were in Sweden last season: "It's hard to get him off the puck. It's really cool to see."
After playing five games at the end of last season, the 21-year-old Veleno is competing for a roster spot in camp. Yzerman said that for young players, his emphasis will be on making sure they play enough minutes each night to develop, whether it be in Detroit or in the minors.
"I had (Yzerman) when I was in Tampa, when I was in Syracuse," Adam Erne said. "He made sure that as a young player, when I was playing in Syracuse, I was playing a lot of minutes and developing."
Carter Rowney and Mitchell Stephens, both new acquisitions, are battling for the fourth-line center spot as well, and have considerably more NHL experience. Still, Veleno is managing to impress.
"He's a great kid," Erne said. "He works hard, he's a really good skater and plays good at both ends of the ice. He looks good in camp so far."

Vrana expected to be in Traverse City by Saturday

After a visa issue kept Jakub Vrana from joining the Red Wings at the start of training camp, Blashill said he believed the forward would be flying into Traverse City on Friday night.
"I don't know totally what that means for his readiness tomorrow," Blashill said. "I'll know more on that tomorrow, but let's start by getting him in town."
Vrana scored eight goals with three assists in 11 games with the Red Wings last year after being traded from the Washington Capitals.