Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in an early season trade — it appears that defenseman Mark Friedman will continue his time in British Columbia. The Vancouver Canucks announced they have signed Friedman to a one-year contract extension that will pay him $775K at the NHL level.
Friedman was originally brought into the Canucks organization to serve in a depth role, and the team may have to elevate him into a consistent bottom-pairing role depending on how their offseason plays out. Vancouver got a head start on their defensive core Tuesday, signing pending restricted free agent Filip Hronek to an eight-year extension, but Ian Cole, Nikita Zadorov and Tyler Myers are set to hit the open market in a few short weeks.
In his role as a depth defenseman, Friedman suited up in 23 games for the Canucks this season while tallying only one assist after averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game. Outside of his offensive production, Friedman did post solid defensive and possession metrics in limited action with a 50.3 Corsi For% and a 92.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations.
Additionally, Friedman spent a brief period with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. In mid-January, the Canucks placed Friedman on a six-day conditioning loan allowing him to suit up in four games for the AHL Canucks, which saw him post one goal and four points in total.
After the Canucks offseason finally reaches its conclusion, Friedman should once again be bumped into a depth role, but he now serves as one of five defensemen on the roster with a contract for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Nevertheless, general manager Patrik Allvin will allow Friedman to see more minutes by saying, “Mark’s addition to our group last year gave us some much-needed depth, and he is someone we can count on if plugged into our lineup. He is a team-first player and is always ready to step in if called upon. We expect him to come into camp and compete hard for a regular spot this season."
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