Penguins Put Friedman on Waivers; Zohorna is There, Too

The logjam on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defense is beginning to break.

They placed defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers this afternoon. If he is not claimed by 2 p.m. tomorrow, he can be assigned to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre, although the Penguins would not be obliged to send him there.

Forward Radim Zohorna, who was lost to Calgary on waivers Monday, was placed there again by the Flames today. The Penguins would be able to reclaim him and assign him to Wilkes-Barre.

The move with Friedman pares the Penguins’ roster to 23, which is the most a team is allowed to carry, but they still remain above the NHL’s salary-cap ceiling of $82.5 million.

They currently are carrying eight defensemen, one more than is expected to be on the roster when the regular season opens Thursday against Arizona at PPG Paints Arena.

Friedman, whose feisty style has made him popular with much of the fan base, has been a depth defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins since they claimed him on waivers from Philadelphia on Feb. 4, 2021.

He has appeared in 31 regular-season games with the Penguins, putting up three goals, five assists and 28 penalty minutes.