The Vancouver Canucks have just taken a major hit to their blue line. After taking contact during Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh, Filip Hronek left the ice, and early indications suggest that he could be missing an extended period of time.
Hronek’s injury is a big blow for the Canucks.
Hronek is a key player for Vancouver, averaging 23:36 in ice time—one of only two skaters on the team who averages more than 20 minutes. He’s a key piece on the secondary power play, an essential penalty killer, and provides an offensive push from the back end that complements Quinn Hughes perfectly.
In other words, if you thought the Canucks’ defence was in rough shape before, things are about to get a whole lot worse.
With Hronek out, the question becomes: who steps up to fill that void?
For now, that answer appears to be Mark Friedman, who is probably the easiest and best option.
The 28-year-old has recently returned to action after suffering an injury in late October and is back to logging significant minutes on the Abbotsford blue line. When in the lineup, Friedman is second among Abbotsford defenders in average ice time (19:30) and has been playing in all situations.
Additionally, Friedman has been among the best in Abbotsford. While he may not show his full toolkit at the NHL level, he’s a solid all-around player who has been effective on both the power play and penalty kill at the American League level. He even led the Abbotsford defencemen in points with four in his first five games before getting hurt, and now leads that corps with a plus-5 for the year.
With an NHL resume of 88 games, he brings the experience that no one on this list can provide. And in desperate times, experience can carry its weight in gold.
Friedman is the kind of “meat-and-potatoes” defender you bring up when you need someone to hold the fort and provide a dependable, no-frills approach. He’s already cleared waivers, meaning he can be moved back and forth between Vancouver and Abbotsford without (relative) issue—a flexibility that makes him the easiest choice.
Derek Forbort is also expected to return within the next week, bringing further reinforcements. Yet, the Abbotsford Canucks are finally playing good hockey, and a lot of that can be credited to a select few younger defenders down on the farm.
While the more beneficial approach would be to let them stew and earn their stripes, they could provide serviceable minutes while soaking in the NHL environment in a pinch.
Option 1: The steady puck mover — Cole McWard
Perhaps the Canucks are looking for a reliable puck mover with a little more experience. In that case, Cole McWard deserves a strong look.
As he was last year, the 23-year-old has been a consistent performer for Abbotsford this season as a sophomore. He has built his game up throughout the year and has even recently taken over as Abbotsford’s top unit powerplay quarterback — a spot he’s taking on for the first time in his young career.
On top of that, he’s carrying the load as a mainstay on the team’s top-four defensive unit. If there was an area holding him back from getting a further look, it’s his lack of penalty-killing deployment. Unlike the other options on this list, he has yet to soak in any minutes shutting down opposition powerplays.
Despite the challenges Abbotsford’s defensive group faced early on (one of the worst goal differentials out of the gate), McWard has managed to keep his head above water. He holds an even plus/minus rating through 19 games and has only endured four matches where he’s gone negative for the game.
With six points (one goal, five assists) through his first 16 games, McWard is currently on pace to surpass his rookie numbers from last season while firing at a 23-point clip. He’s reliable, has a strong first pass, and, importantly, is waiver-exempt, meaning he can be moved freely between the AHL and NHL without any complications.
If Vancouver wants a young, reliable puck-mover who has already shown some chemistry with Quinn Hughes, McWard could be the answer.
Option 2: The physical presence — Jett Woo
If the Canucks are looking for a bit more grit from the backend, Jett Woo might warrant a look. Woo leads Abbotsford in ice time this season and has taken on various roles, including stints on the power play, penalty kill, and as part of a shutdown brigade in Abbotsford. When the Canucks need a defensive stop, Woo is typically the player they trust most on the ice.
With 24 penalty minutes so far this season, Woo isn’t afraid to get physical or drop the gloves when necessary. He’s a player willing to put his body on the line and bring some truculence to the back end.
While there may be better options above him, and he plays a bit Friedman-lite, he’s been consistently upping his games from year to year. He could certainly benefit from soaking in the NHL environment following his first pair of call-ups last year.
Option 3 & 4: Rewarding strong play from rookies — Kirill Kudryavtsev or Elias Pettersson
Perhaps the Canucks want to reward the impressive play coming from one of their young defencemen—in which case, there are two intriguing options in Kirill Kudryavtsev and Elias Pettersson.
Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kudryavtsev, 20, has been on a fantastic run as of late. After beginning the season with a few healthy scratches, he’s become a staple in Abbotsford’s top-four unit, penalty kill. Furthermore, he has now established a spot as the quarterback of the second power-play unit.
Even more interestingly, he can shift to the right side when asked and does not let it take away from his typical strengths.
He’s recently contributed six points in four games and currently leads all Abbotsford defencemen (second on the team) in scoring with ten points (two goals, eight assists) in 16 games. That puts him fourth among all U21 defencemen in the AHL.
He’s currently on pace for a 44-point rookie season.
Aside from throwing heavy hits, Kudryavtsev has shown that he can do it all and play in every situation. Whether on special team units or at even strength, he plays a simple and very effective two-way game.
He relies on his quick thinking to make effective plays up the ice and compensates for his lack of physicality by using his stick as a constant weapon to break up plays in his own end. With the ability to jump over and play on the right side, his versatile, two-way game offers endless possibilities.
Elias Pettersson
While Kudryavtsev has put on a show in recent weeks, it’s Elias Pettersson who has been the consistent force in Abbotsford.
Since moving from Sweden last season, the 20-year-old has shown he can adapt quickly to the North American game. He’s been a staple on Abbotsford’s second pairing and has recently enjoyed time on the top pair while contributing as a key penalty-killer all year.
Pettersson’s aggressive, physical style is what stands out most. He’s not afraid to step up with a big hit and brings an edge opponents are learning to be wary of. Despite his young age, he plays a responsible defensive game and has been one of Abbotsford’s most consistent performers.
While both Kudryavtsev and Pettersson have been excellent, the concern with calling either of them up is whether it might be asking too much too soon. Both are still settling into their roles in the AHL and rushing their development could be counterproductive. But as far as promising young talent goes, they both show incredible promise for the near-to-long future.
So, who gets the nod?
Considering the options, there is a likely chance that Mark Friedman simply becomes the lone call-up recipient. With six healthy defenders already with Vancouver, there’s a chance that the call-up recipient doesn’t even see game action, and there’s little to no sense in having a young defender’s stew in the press box. But it’s always nice to have options, and that’s exactly what Vancouver has in these young defenders.
Of course, all options have downsides, and none truly bring a high degree of pedigree to the table—at least not yet, in the case of the two rookies.
If the team really wants to boost this defensive corps, it will likely have to come through a trade.
Do your thing at the office, Patrik Allvin.
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