Canucks re-sign Friedman to cheap one-year contract

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed one of their pending free agent defencemen.

Depth defenceman Mark Friedman has signed a contract extension with the Canucks, inking a one-year deal worth a league-minimum salary of $775,000.

“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,” Canucks GM Patrik Allvin said in a media release. “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.”

Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in October, Friedman appeared in 23 games for the Canucks last season, registering one assist while averaging 12:14 of ice time per game. The 28-year-old Toronto native was No. 8 on the depth chart on Vancouver’s back end, behind Noah Juulsen.

Friedman has played 88 NHL games and 218 games in the AHL during an eight-year pro career. The Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft, and he moved on to Pittsburgh in 2021.

The Canucks now have five defencemen signed to NHL contracts next season, which includes Filip Hronek, who signed a massive eight-year extension on Tuesday. Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy, and Juulsen are the others.

Vancouver has 12 days left to sign Nikita Zadorov and/or Tyler Myers before they become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

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