Vancouver Canucks Waive Defenseman Mark Friedman

The Vancouver Canucks have made the decision to place defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering the team’s typical strategy of maintaining a full roster of eight defensemen to mitigate potential injury risks. This season, the Canucks had initially intended to keep Friedman alongside Noah Juulsen as additional defensive options on their roster.

According to the announcement on Tuesday, if Friedman successfully clears the waiver process, he will be assigned to join the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League (AHL). By doing so, the Canucks aim to open a roster spot, allowing them to potentially call up players such as Arshdeep Bains or Phil Di Giuseppe ahead of Wednesday’s home game.

General Manager Patrik Allvin signaled this strategy, hinting that Bains could be recalled in the coming days. The timing of these waivers aligns with the fact that most NHL teams have solidified their rosters, limiting their capability to incorporate new players due to salary cap constraints.

The waiver process provides an opportunity for the Canucks to perform what can be described as “cap gymnastics.” Currently, the team can leverage the additional cap space afforded by the waiving of Friedman to bolster their flexibility in managing league-wide roster limits.

This approach enables them to juggle personnel between the NHL and AHL, accruing additional cap space over time. A player who clears waivers, such as Friedman, does not require re-clearance until he engages in 10 NHL games or accumulates 30 days on the NHL roster.

The Canucks’ strategy of avoiding Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) at the onset of the season allows for these cap management strategies. This tactical flexibility may set the stage for them to execute significant roster upgrades by the season’s trade deadline.