(Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In terms of defense pairing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team is basically set. While nothing will officially be official until opening night, we all know the top four on defense will look something like this:

Letang—Graves

Karlsson—Pettersson

Maybe Karlsson is technically the top pairing guy. Maybe you switch Graves and Pettersson. But we all know that’s the top four on defense going into 2023-24. 

But now here comes the real question, what about that third pair? It’s PO Joseph, and who? 

To me, there’s three NHL-caliber defenseman who could step up and take that spot alongside Joseph, and all three are right here within the Penguins organization. 

All three guys played games for Pittsburgh last season, albeit very different amounts. 

So between Mark Friedman, Chad Ruhwedel, and Ty Smith, who takes that final starting spot? Let’s take a look at all three. 

Ty Smith

We’ll start with the guy who played the least number of games for the Penguins last season in Ty Smith. 

Smith, who Ron Hextall traded John Marino to New Jersey for prior to the start of last season, has proven in the past he can be a successful NHL defenseman. 

With the Devils, Smith played 114 games over two seasons, where he had 20+ point campaigns in each of his two NHL seasons with the Devils. 

After he was traded to the Penguins, Smith joined a crowded group of players all vying for a spot on the NHL roster for Pittsburgh. In the end, he was buried in the American Hockey League and spent the vast majority of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 

In 39 games down in the AHL, Smith recorded 7 goals and 17 assists, and was only a -8 on a bad WBS Pens team. 

When a series of injuries plagued the Penguins lineup at the very end of December, Smith was called up to Pittsburgh, playing 9 games in the NHL. 

Smith looked rather well in his time as a Penguin. He picked up right where he left off in New Jersey, and he was mainly sent back down just to the Penguins could be salary cap compliant when Kris Letang returned from IR. 

For what it’s worth, Mike Sullivan seemed to really like Smith’s game. Smith routinely played over 20 minutes a night, including a spot on the top pairing as well as quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit. 

In 9 games up in the NHL, Smith had a goal and 3 assists, showcasing some of his offensive abilities from the blue line. 

At just 23 years old, he’s the youngest of the three players in this article, and at such a young age has established a solid NHL presence. 

In all honesty, he should have been up with Pittsburgh a lot more last year, and he is the most likely to take the job as an NHL regular alongside PO Joseph. 

Mark Friedman

Next up, the man with the second most games played for the Penguins last season. 

Mark Friedman has been a bubble player for several years now. Acquired as Ron Hextall’s first move as general manager when the Philadelphia Flyers placed him on waivers, Friedman has had several stints with both the NHL and AHL Penguins. 

Friedman provides something that neither Smith nor Ruhwedel do, and that’s an element of grit and physicality. 

Despite not being the biggest guy (5’ 11 and 185 pounds), Friedman is a very scrappy guy. He rarely backs down from sticking up for his teammates, a trait so few Penguins have embodied over the years. 

He might not be as skilled as Ty Smith, but he can still play hockey. He’s suitable as a third pairing/depth defenseman, appearing in 23 games for the Penguins this past season. 

He put up 3 points along with 15 penalty minutes, which is inflated because he fought Brady Tkachuk in a game back in January. 

If Chad Ruhwedel, who we will get to in a second, gets demoted down to the AHL to start the season, Friedman could potentially jump into the seventh defenseman spot. 

Chad Ruhwedel

And now we end with the Penguin who appeared in the most games for the club last season, Chad Ruhwedel. 

Last season was a down year for Ruhwedel. He was a step slower defensively and was at times out of place on the ice. After playing a career high 78 games in Pittsburgh in 2021-22, Ruhwedel’s total fell to 47 this past season. 

At 33 years old, Ruhwedel is gonna have to fight two much younger guys (Friedman is 28 and Smith is 23) for a job this fall. 

Ruhwedel has been a depth defenseman, and a guy always ready to play when called upon, for years in Pittsburgh. But after this past season, his spot might be a bit more in question. 

Nevertheless, Ruhwedel does bring more experience and veteran leadership than his younger counterparts, and if he can bounce back from a rough season, perhaps he can reclaim a top six defenseman role. 

Ruhwedel was the beneficiary of an open spot on defense back in 2021-22, when he played that career high 78 games. 

Ultimately, the battle is likely between Ruhwedel and Friedman for the seventh defenseman spot. Ty Smith, with his youth, skill, and established play, likely will jump forward and get a full time role with the Penguins next season.