A left-side defenseman was needed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they acquired one just as the NHL free-agent frenzy entered its second hour. Matt Grzelcyk, a former defenseman for the Boston Bruins, was signed by the Penguins for a single season.
The $2.75 million salary and the contract can both be verified by PHN.
When the Penguins non-tendered P.O. Joseph on Sunday afternoon, they reduced the number of defensemen on the NHL roster to five, including just two left-side defenders. This created an additional need for an LHD.
Grzelcyk, 30, is a quick-switching defenseman with good skating ability who lacks size. Despite being only 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, he has contributed significantly to the Bruins penalty kill. About seventeen minutes a night were he onstage in Boston.
Although he only managed 11 points (2-9-11) in 63 games the previous season, he has proven to be a dependable defenseman, scoring in the 20-point range the previous four seasons.
Under new Penguins assistant coach David Quinn, he played collegiate hockey at Boston University in 2015–16. In 2012, Grzelcyk was selected by Boston in the third round (85th overall). He was chosen by Boston one pick ahead of St. Louis’s selection of Colton Parayko and two picks behind the Penguins’ selection of Matt Murray.
He appears to be a good complement to defenseman Jack St. Ivany, who plays in the third pairing and is a reliable, stay-at-home player who enjoys clearing the net front. Grzelcyk would add some offensive potential and forward mobility to the combination.
If Erik Karlsson or Kris Letang are unavailable or coaches decide to use them on the same unit, he can also run the power play.
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