Mark Friedman | #51 | RD/LD

[Jess]

[Jess]

Has pretty much split time 50/50 in the NHL and AHL recently. Has a one-way deal, but has already passed through waivers, so likely to just stay in Abby and replace Rathbone in a sense. Rathbone was a LD though, so there might be some shuffling. 

 

EDIT: Some rumblings are that he'll join the team, so he may replaced Juulsen as a RD. Similar games played to Juulsen, but a smidge more offense. Probably moves better given he's only 5'11", 185lbs.

[Miss Korea]

Will we see anything resembling this?

 

 

[Cali Canuck]

From Harm Dayal and Rob Rossi at the Athletic.  

 

source: https://theathletic.com/4971093/2023/10/17/penguins-canucks-trade-jack-rathbone-mark-friedman/

 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded Mark Friedman and Ty Glover to the Vancouver Canucks for Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek. Here’s what you need to know.

Friedman has 12 points in 64 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins and has spent most of his career with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 27-year-old defenseman was drafted by the Flyers in the third round (No. 86) of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Glover, a 23-year-old centerman, had 12 points in 49 games with the AHL Penguins last season.
A fourth-round pick (No. 95) of the Canucks in 2017, Rathbone, 24, has appeared in 28 games with the Canucks.
Plasek, a 23-year-old forward, spent last season with Olomouc HC of the Czech league and played eight games with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in 2021-22.

 

What does this do for the Penguins?
GM Kyle Dubas has not been shy about his willingness to swap out parts when it comes to NHL roster or organizational depth. This move is more of the latter.

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Neither Friedman nor Glover fit into the long-term plans in Pittsburgh. That doesn’t mean Rathbone or Plasek are locks to be in the lineup, only that they’ll probably be closer to joining it than Friedman and Glover would have been.

Dubas wants depth organizationally and players that can make for a competitive team in the AHL. He has convinced ownership this is a smart way to spend money without being constricted by the salary cap.

Ownership isn’t afraid to give Dubas resources for a competitive AHL affiliate. He had one in Toronto and wants one in Pittsburgh. — Rob Rossi, Penguins writer

Will there be more moves from Pittsburgh?
Surely, but that doesn’t mean any are imminent.

Dubas is going to be active in talks all season. He wants to be aggressive. He also has said he’ll use waivers if it means improving the NHL club.

The Penguins began this season with more new players than at any point since Evgeni Malkin’s rookie season (2006-07). There is going to be tinkering up until the last minute of the trade deadline — and it’ll likely be player-for-player swaps because the Penguins are tight against the cap. — Rossi

 

Short-term blue-line help
The Canucks really needed additional depth on the right side of the blue line. Noah Juulsen proved last game that he can’t be relied on as a regular NHL defenseman. Carson Soucy’s close to returning to the lineup but the Canucks coaching staff prefers not to play left-handed defenders on the right side, so that didn’t really solve the right defense issues. Vancouver’s next option was probably Cole McWard, who’s promising but raw, inexperienced and could probably benefit from logging big minutes in the AHL. This is where Friedman, a right-shot who has 65 games of NHL experience and has split time between the big leagues and AHL, gives Vancouver another depth blue-line option. — Harman Dayal, Canucks writer

A fresh start for Rathbone
Rathbone was once one of the Canucks’ top blue-line prospects. He was a standout at Harvard with his impressive skating and puck-moving combination. Rathbone’s development was hindered by a lack of game reps due to a combination of COVID-19’s impact on shutting down leagues and various injuries. He struggled to process the game quickly enough as a puck-mover and defend reliably enough to establish himself with the Canucks but, given his talent and pedigree, could have some upside with a fresh start. — Dayal

[distantandvague]

Watch Rathbone become Gustav Forsling for the Penguins. 

[Singing Chef]

After watching the game against Philly, if the coaches have the balls to do it they should park Myers and put Friedman in against Tampa.  

[Fred65]

17 hours ago, Singing Chef said:

After watching the game against Philly, if the coaches have the balls to do it they should park Myers and put Friedman in against Tampa.  

Myers certainly looked bad against Philly, however the Juulsen experimennt has to come to an end. He's not NHL playser and likely at his age never willbe.

[AAA]

I wonder if Friedman will slot in next game, or if the coaches might want him to get some practices in first

Edited October 18, 2023 by AAA

[Jess]

Called up to Vancouver.

 

My guess is he'll replace Juulsen as the 3RD.

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[Jess]

"Hard-nosed game" from a 5'11" d-man might be interesting. Eager to see what he looks like.

[Bobby James]

14 hours ago, -AJ- said:

"Hard-nosed game" from a 5'11" d-man might be interesting. Eager to see what he looks like.

Have a feeling he'll be a high energy hard checking guy (despite not being huge). 

 

Similar play style maybe to guys like Burroughs and Biega. 

[Jess]

Just now, Bobby James said:

Have a feeling he'll be a high energy hard checking guy (despite not being huge). 

 

Similar play style maybe to guys like Burroughs and Biega. 

 

Biega might end up being the most accurate comparable. Would be nice if so.

[Rip The Mesh]

Sounds like someone Rick will be able to get the most out of. Having him around, should / hope; take a bit of pressure off guys that just can't afford

to play the role of the agitator ..........

[AK-19]

What a great pick-up. I think he's better than Ethan Bear last year and he brings something different to our D.

[smithers joe]

i prefer friedman to myers on the 3rd pair, but i'ld like to see bear on the 2nd pair with cole. keep that group together until our prospects are ready to go.

[Jess]

Weirdly, Friedman has played better on the 2nd pair than he did on the 3rd. Maybe he just meshes well with Cole or something.

[Rindiculous]

At this point I think that when Bear gets back it should be Bear and soucy, Friedman and Cole with Myers scratched.  That seems like it could be a very underrated top 6

[Leanbeef]

 
showed up randomly on my shorts feed. Been catching headshots since before he got with us 

[Jess]

Down to Abby on a conditioning stint, which likely means he'll be back up soon. Not sure if that means he's gonna play soon or if it's just to keep in shape and get a few games in.

[Artemus]

21 hours ago, -AJ- said:

Down to Abby on a conditioning stint, which likely means he'll be back up soon. Not sure if that means he's gonna play soon or if it's just to keep in shape and get a few games in.

 

Yeah, he will be back up with the big club soon. A "Conditioning Stint" lasts for a maximum of two weeks. He continues to be part of the Vancouver Canucks 23 man roster. He would need to clear "waivers" to stay longer in Abbotsford.

 

Friedman will benefit from some real quality game time to stay sharp and in game shape.

 

Smart timing for this move as it coincides with our up upcoming homestand. If necessary, Friedman could be back with the club in two hours.

[HKSR]

Always forget that he's in the depth chart... goes to show how deep our defence group has all of a sudden become...

 

Hughes

Hronek

Zadorov

Myers

Cole

Soucy

Juulsen

Friedman (all of the guys from here above are capable NHL defencemen)

Mcward

Hirose

Wolanin

Irwin

 

[Rip The Mesh]

 

Welcome to the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks player review series. Over the summer, we will be taking a look at Canucks players performances from the 2023-24 season. Today's player is Mark Friedman, who had one point in 23 games. 

After being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the start of the season, Friedman showed he could be a solid depth defenceman who can be reliable in limited minutes. Over his 23 games with Vancouver, Friedman averaged 12:14 of ice time and finished the season with only three giveaways in over 280 minutes. Ultimately, he understood his role and was able to provide value to the Canucks lineup early in the season. 

 

Often seen skating beside Ian Cole, Friedman's NHL EDGE numbers show just how effective he was at keeping the puck out of his defensive zone. At even strength, Friedman ranked in the 92nd percentile in offensive zone time at 44.3%, while his 37.6% defensive zone time ranked in the 89th percentile. While it is important to note that these numbers may be a bit inflated due to low minutes, the percentages are positive as they show that when Friedman was on the ice, the Canucks were able to maintain possession and create offensive chances.

 

One statistic that stands out when it comes to Friedman is his shot-blocking. The 28-year-old set a new career high with 35 blocked shots and recorded a shots blocked per 60 of 7.46. In the end, Friedman showed a willingness to do whatever it took to win, even if that meant diving in front of shots whenever he got the chance. 

 

After signing a one-year extension this offseason, the question surrounding Friedman is where he will play next season. At the moment, it looks like he could start the season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks and be a player who is called up when injuries occur. If that is the case, at least Vancouver can be comfortable with the fact that they have a defender who not only understands how to play in Rick Tocchet's system but has also shown he can have success on a third pair. 

[Blue]

 

[Jess]

2 hours ago, Blue said:

 

 

Wow, that is textbook illegal headshot material.