The Player the Penguins Can Least Afford to Lose (but Probably Will)

The player I’m referring to? No, not captain Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin or the myriad of other high-profile players whose futures with the team appear set in stone.

I’m talking about spare defenseman and resident agitator Mark Friedman.

It goes without saying I’ve been impressed with the peppery defender ever since Ron Hextall plucked him off the waiver wire on February 24, 2021, in his first official move after taking over as GM.

Although a right-handed shot, Friedman’s versatile and can play either side of defense with equal ability. In fact, he almost seems more at home on the left side where our depth is a bit more sketchy. He can play up front in a pinch as well.

The Toronto native’s an excellent skater, agile and mobile, and he isn’t the least bit shy about joining the rush or unleashing his deceptive shot, as evidenced by two goals in his first five games in the ‘Burgh.

And his compete level?

Off the charts.

He’s kind of a latter day Bryan “Bugsy” Watson, a rambunctious defenseman of similar size and temperament who drove opponents batty with his aggressive play and acid-tongued antics back in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

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