Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts extremely clear on Jalen Chatfield escaping discipline for MMA-style takedown of Connor McMichael

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the controversy surrounding Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield’s takedown on Washington Capitals’ Connor McMichael. Chatfield grabbed McMichael and slammed him to the ice using a move resembling an MMA move.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has decided that Chatfield will face no supplemental disciplinary action, which has left many analysts and fans criticizing the league.

Friedman gave his take during a discussion with his co-host Kyle Bukauskas on his "32 Thoughts" podcast on Friday.

“I don't like to see heads hit the ice like that, or come close to hitting the ice like that,” Friedman said. “Ever since the 4 Nations, we've all kind of had a reenergization of the love with fighting, right? And I don't mind it. I like a fair hockey fight. I don't have a problem with it. But every once in a while, you see something like this that kind of jolts you back to reality and say, 'Boy, we were lucky that didn't get worse.'”

Chatfield’s takedown came during a contentious time in the second half of the final period, with multiple fights and altercations erupting on the ice. Friedman said that he wasn’t surprised at the lack of further punishment for Chatfield.

“The number one reason I wasn't surprised is that I looked for situations where NHL players have been suspended for something like that, and I couldn't find anything," Friedman said.

The closing minutes saw several players getting hit with over 120 penalty minutes during the game. The Hurricanes defeated the Capitals 5-1 to secure a spot in the playoffs. Washington left wing Alex Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goalscoring record, scored his 892nd goal of the season to move within three goals of overtaking "The Great One."

NHL insider urges league to punish Jalen Chatfield for his “dangerous” actions

The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who was among the first to break the news about no further action being taken against Jalen Chatfield, said that even though his actions weren’t technically against the rules, the potential danger warranted stricter punishment.

“Personally, I would find a way to apply a one-game suspension to send a message to the rest of the NHL that if you fight, you can’t do this," Seravalli said on Thursday, via Yardbarker. "You can’t take down a player in this manner.”

Seravalli is among a long line of experts calling for more consistency and discipline from the NHL’s Player Safety department.