Blue Line Depth: Penguins Recall Mark Friedman

TORONTO — The Pittsburgh Penguins have at least one more defenseman on Friday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. The team recalled Mark Friedman on Friday and sent Sam Poulin to the WBS Penguins.

P.O Joseph and Jan Rutta were injured Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. Neither finished the second period. Rutta absorbed a heavy hit from Alex Ovechkin and was being evaluated for an upper-body injury. Joseph’s injury is a lower-body injury.

Friedman passed through waivers on the eve of the NHL season. Friedman has two assists in 10 AHL games. He can play the right or left side.

UPDATE: Joseph and Rutta participated in the Penguins’ morning skate at Scotiabank Arena. It appears the Penguins added depth instead of a necessary player.

Chad Ruhwedel is the other spare defenseman.

Mark Friedman, 26, played parts of the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last season, he played a career-high 26 games with five points (1-4-5). The defenseman also appeared in six playoff games during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring one goal.

Poulin, 21, made his NHL debut last month. He played three games and earned one assist. Poulin, the Penguins’ 2019 first-round pick is waivers exempt.