Penguins acquire Jack Rathbone, Karel Plasek from Canucks

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Jack Rathbone and forward Karel Plasek from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday in a trade for defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover.

"I would like to thank Jack for all the time he spent with our organization and always pushing hard when competing for a spot," Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. "It has been a tough couple of years for him and this will give him a fresh start.

The two players coming back in this trade will add to our depth as we continue to look at ways to improve our organization."

Rathbone, 24, was a 2017 fourth-round pick of Vancouver and played in 28 games with the Canucks over the past three seasons, tallying two goals and three assists. He's scored one goal in two games this season for the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League. He will report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

A native of the Czech Republic, Plasek, 23, was selected by the Canucks in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. With HC Olomouc of Czechia in the 2022-23 season, Plasek notched six goals, nine assists and 15 points in 31 games. He will report to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.

Friedman, 27, played in 23 games with the Penguins last season, posting one goal and two assists. Over 65 regular season games with Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Flyers (2018-21), Friedman has four goals and eight assists along with 49 penalty minutes.

Glover, 23, had seven goals and five assists in 49 games with the AHL Penguins last season after signing an entry-level contract with Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent.