How Mark Friedman's Strong Pre-Season Could Put The Vancouver Canucks In A Difficult Position

Through Training Camp and now the pre-season, one player that has stood out for the Vancouver Canucks is defenceman Mark Friedman. The 28-year-old is in his second season with the organization and was re-signed during the offseason to a one-year extension worth $775,000. While it is usually positive when players have strong Training Camps and pre-seasons, this could be the opposite case with Friedman, as it may result in the Canucks losing him on waivers this season.

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This year, Friedman has suited up for three pre-season games. Over those three games, he has one assist, four shots on goal, four hits and four blocked shots. Friedman has also drawn three penalties and been on the ice for only two goals against in 57:40 of ice time. He has also played a key role on the penalty kill, with the team allowing just three shots in the 5:25 he played. While strong pre-season play doesn't guarantee regular-season success, Friedman's impressive play shows that not only is he ready for the start of the 2024-25 campaign but that he can have an impact on the NHL roster.

NHL teams are allowed to carry 23 players on the active roster throughout the season. Usually, teams elect to fill out their roster by either carrying two extra forwards and one defenceman or two extra defensemen and one forward. Vancouver, however, is in a tricky situation injury-wise, which could cause the team to carry extra players differently.

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According to Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal of "The Athletic," one option the Canucks are considering is using one of their three extra spaces for a third goaltender. This would come into play when Thatcher Demko returns from injury and would allow Vancouver's starter to have off days while still ensuring the club has two goaltenders ready for practice. Using one of the three extra spots for a goaltender is not unheard of, but in the Canucks case, it could be the reason they lose Friedman to waivers.

What complicates this situation is timing. If Vancouver puts Friedman on waivers tomorrow, he may sneak through, but the longer they wait, the higher the chance he could be claimed. Once the season starts and injuries pile up, teams begin to look for cheap options to fill holes in their roster, with Friedman's position and contract being very enticing. As for his strong pre-season play, that could be the cherry on top for a team, as he has shown over the past month that he can provide valuable minutes as a depth defender this year.

While Friedman may enter the season as the Canucks eighth defenceman, he has shown through Training Camp and the pre-season just how valuable he can be. Depth is crucial for teams with Stanley Cup aspirations, so having a player like Friedman ready to go will be beneficial this season. Regardless of what happens with Friedman, one thing is clear: his performance over the past month during both Training Camp and the pre-season shows that he deserves a spot at the NHL level.