The Chicago Blackhawks recently signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a professional tryout contract after a strong season last year. Even though he's signed to a PTO, there are still teams that are monitoring his status if things don't go as planned in Chicago, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
“Grzelcyk ended up taking a PTO with the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s familiar with assistant coach Mike Vellucci from the Penguins last season. We’ll see whether that materializes into an NHL contract,” LeBrun wrote. “The Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, and Ducks would be other potential situations to monitor for Grzelcyk, depending on how camps and the preseason go for those teams and their younger defensemen.
“Whatever happens, Grzelcyk should end up on a one-year, prove-it contract somewhere this season.”
Last season, Grzelcyk put up 40 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he went through this entire offseason without a contract offer. He may not be your typical defenseman because of his size, but the numbers that he put up last season should have had teams interested from the jump.
The Blackhawks needed to improve their backend, and Grzelcyk will definitely help in that department. If he can make a strong showing in training camp, the Blackhawks may have gotten a steal. On the other hand, if he doesn't perform up to the level that they expect, those other teams may end up taking a chance on him.
It was not the best season for the Blackhawks last year, as they finished with a 25-46 record, which was last in the Central Division. The hope is that they can improve, and though one player won't change anything, Grzelcyk could make a difference like he did with the Penguins last season.
It'll just be a wait-and-see approach as training camp begins for the league.
