COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As the NHL's trade deadline approaches, I'm more and more convinced that the Penguins' blue line depth will be sufficient for the remainder of the campaign.
Outside of the regulars ...
There's P.O Joseph, who recorded three goals and six assists in his previous 10 games in Wilkes-Barre before getting the call to the big club as a result of Mike Matheson's injury that will keep him out week-to-week.
There's Juuso Riikola, who at the very least has shown competency at the NHL level, and at the very most has displayed the ability to crush a minimal role on the bottom pair.
And then there's Mark Friedman, a former third-round pick of the Flyers that has dressed for 30 NHL games -- 19 of which were with the Penguins over the past two seasons -- at the age of 26.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the general manager who drafted him with the Flyers was the same general manager who claimed him off waivers with the Penguins, Ron Hextall.
Hextall was no stranger to altercation in his playing days, so it comes as no surprise that he's fond of Friedman's scrappiness and rambunctious playing style. In that regard, the Penguins don't have another player like Friedman across their roster.
Friedman was the first of the trio to get a crack at filling Matheson's spot, and our Taylor Haase highlighted his 'impressive' return to the lineup in which the Penguins out-attempted the Rangers, 14-1, with him on the ice at five-on-five.
While it hasn't been to the ridiculous degree of that lone game, the Penguins have been very effective with Friedman on the ice over the past two seasons.
Here's how they have performed during his combined 221 minutes of five-on-five ice-time, per Evolving Hockey:
• Outscored the opposition, 15-12
• Controlled 60.6% of the expected goals
• 238-216 edge in shot attempts
Looking specifically at the 168 minutes Friedman has played at five-on-five this season ... well, I'll just let you take a peek first, via HockeyViz:
HockeyViz
That's the Penguins' offensive output during Friedman's ice time. They are generating waves of quality chances in the most dangerous areas of the ice relative to league-average. Simply put, they are drowning the opposition with their attack when Friedman is on the ice.
There are 246 defensemen who have played at least 150 minutes at five-on-five across the NHL this season. Friedman's offensive on-ice metrics stack up to the field quite nicely, per Evolving Hockey:
- Goals for per hour: 3.2 (34th)
- Expected goals for per hour: 3.64 (1st)
- Shot attempts per hour: 67.7 (5th)
- Shots on goal per hour: 41.3 (1st)
No, I am not kidding you. The rate at which the Penguins generate quality offense with Friedman on the ice at five-on-five is higher than any other defenseman in the NHL. The rate at which the Penguins get shots on goal with Friedman on the ice is higher than any other defenseman in the NHL.
I'll be the first to tell you these insane results will not hold up for an extended period of time, no matter how well Friedman continues to play. The interesting thing about his rankings among those metrics is that, almost every other defensemen that has seen results anything close to Friedman's, has played significantly more minutes. We're talking hundreds.
Those 168 minutes don't make for a large sample, but there's enough there to dig into how those results are coming about, and whether or not there's some level of sustainability to be achieved.
ACTIVATE FROM BLUE LINE
If you've watched the Panthers at all this season, you probably noticed how frequently their defensemen are rotating and jumping into the slot and below the tops of the circles in the offensive zone. The entire league is shifting toward this dynamic, but at its own pace, of course.
This is something Friedman does with regularity, and like his scrappiness, it's something that the Penguins don't get much of from their blue line:
After his patented pirouette at the right circle, Kasperi Kapanen rimmed the puck along the boards below the goal line for his linemates to retrieve. With his momentum taking him away from the play, Friedman alertly recognized that he would have coverage at the point, but also identified the massive area of open ice in front of him and darted right through the middle and to the front of the net. The pass from the corner was just a moment late, but the Penguins will take that look every time.
This isn't to say Friedman is an overall better or more impactful player than John Marino -- that would be ridiculous -- but how many times this season have you hollered at your television in bewilderment that Marino didn't take the offensive opportunities given to him, like the one above? Friedman's eagerness to do so is refreshing.
I hesitate to describe Friedman as fast, but he is undeniably quick and has a tremendous first step that helps him jump into the play effectively:
The puck bounced around directly after a faceoff, but the Penguins corralled the puck and worked it back to Friedman at the left point. With both Penguins and Blue Jackets players scrambling to get into position, there was a slog toward the middle of the ice and an opening along the left side. Friedman scanned, then quickly activated and took the open ice before driving to the side of the net and slipping a backhand pass across the goal-mouth.
Zach Aston-Reese wasn't in great position to receive the pass and it got by him, but another element of this sequence that I love is how Friedman stopped and opened up as a one-timer option on his way back to the point. The pass never came, but defensemen frequently pass up opportunities to sustain pressure with maneuvers like that so that they don't get burned the other way. The aggressiveness and full-on attack mentality is more than welcomed.
Sometimes, simply imposing yourself as a threat to shoot or drive the middle is enough to create time and space for your teammates:
Friedman smoothly received the pass from up top while transitioning and instantaneously got the puck to his hip-pocket with his feet angled toward the middle. This caused poor Parker Kelly (I had to Google him) to go sliding into the corner as he hoped to block Friedman's shot that never came. At that point, Friedman pulled up and slid the puck back to Kapanen who blew it by everyone and into the net.
GET INVOLVED IN RUSH
Aside from Matheson, who seems to attempt at least one coast-to-coast wraparound per game, the Penguins' defensemen typically are not all that involved with gaining the offensive blue line and creating off the rush.
While Friedman doesn't lead many rushes, he takes every opportunity to leave the opposition's forecheckers in the dust and blow by them to create or enhance odd-man breaks:
As all three members of the Penguins' top line started their counter-attack the other way, Friedman was aware that several Blue Jackets players were caught deep in the zone. He turned on the jets and joined in on a four-on-two. Once again, he ended up right at the front of the net and nearly jammed home what was either a sneaky pass or flubbed shot from Bryan Rust.
Some instances, Friedman has the opportunity to join the rush because of his play in the defensive zone:
That clip is a bit of a longer sequence, but it showcased Friedman's work in tying up his assignment to the point of not even being able to go after a loose puck, as well as the awareness to stick with his assignment rather than sagging toward his own goal after the puck was moved up high. Because he wasn't sagging, he was able to burn past pressure and help create an odd-man rush the second he identified that the Penguins would gain possession.
You already know where Friedman ended up: right at the front of the net again. A juicy rebound popped out to him and he wasn't able to put it home, but he did score his first-ever NHL goal in somewhat similar fashion:
If he continues to get to the net with regularity, especially as wide-open as he tends to be, more goals will come.
All that said, the question remains: is Friedman capable of being a legitimate sixth-defenseman for an extended period of time?
As I mentioned earlier, the offensive generation results may stay incredibly strong, but they won't stay at this level forever. They just won't.
I think it's also fair to point out, though I don't know to what degree, that Friedman is competing at the absolute best of his abilities right now because he knows the Penguins have two perfectly capable alternatives. Would we see the same ferociousness and aggressiveness after a 15- or 20-game stint in the lineup? I'm not so sure, but I do know that he has the tools and instincts to continue doing it.
The reality is that, even if Friedman is someone that can remain effective as a true number six, the Penguins don't need him to be that. And that's a good thing. They need him to be able to show up for spot-duty, just like he's doing now, and not sink the team with his ice-time. It's just a giant bonus that his ice-time has been an overwhelming success to this point.
