The NHL free agency carousel ended nearly two months ago, with big names like Mitch Marner and Nikolaj Ehlers changing teams. But one defenseman who spent last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins remains without a contract as August winds down. Matt Grzelcyk remains without a contract in NHL free agency, and Josh Cybulski of Pro Hockey Rumors has information as to why.
“Grzelcyk’s stats are probably inflated because he was often paired with Erik Karlsson, and despite Karlsson’s flaws, he has a track record of making his teammates better, significantly better,” Cybulski reported. “Sure, Grzelcyk has a history of posting solid underlying numbers, but he didn’t show that last year, even though he spent a lot of time with Karlsson. His possession numbers weren’t significant in Pittsburgh, and in the years before his move there, many of Grzelcyk’s numbers were starting to decline, as shown by data from Top Down Hockey.”
Grzelcyk had a career-high 39 assists in his one season with the Penguins, but that has not earned him a contract. 20 of those were secondary assists. He is from Charlestown, Massachusetts, and his dad is the Zamboni driver at TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins. But the Bruins let him walk for a one-year deal with the Penguins. Now, he is one of the lone NHL-caliber players without a contract.
The New York Islanders are a candidate to pick up Grzelcyk, depending on how training camp works out. They are counting on either number-one overall pick Matthew Schaefer or prospect Isaiah George taking a roster spot. If that does not work out, they may need an NHL-caliber defender like Grzelcyk.
The Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres could both use improvements on the blue line to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Either of those teams would benefit from giving Grzelcyk a minimum contract.
