**Former Bruin Matt Grzelcyk Moves Forward with Penguins**
Matt Grzelcyk, a Boston native, fulfilled his childhood dream by playing for the Boston Bruins after progressing from Boston University to TD Garden. However, his time with the Bruins has come to an end as the team chose not to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Grzelcyk now heads to the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, $2.75 million contract.
“Leaving a team is always tough, but I’m motivated to prove myself again as a player,” Grzelcyk shared with Pittsburgh media via Zoom. “I feel very driven coming here.”
Grzelcyk was one of nine Bruins free agents this summer, none of whom were retained. Even before the Bruins’ playoff exit in the second round, it seemed likely Grzelcyk’s tenure in Boston was ending due to injuries that had hindered his performance in recent years.
“It was a minor injury that kept me out,” Grzelcyk explained. “Being on LTIR made me miss games, and it was challenging to readjust to the speed. I also lost some confidence, which is hard to regain midseason. I’m trying to move past that now.”
To regain his form, Grzelcyk aims to be the proficient puck mover on the blue line that he was early in his career. From 2018-2022, he averaged over 103 minutes of power play time per season for the Bruins, scoring an average of 6.25 points. In the last two years, however, his power play time dropped significantly, and he played just 10:42 on the power play last season without contributing a point.
Despite recent struggles, Grzelcyk’s history as an offensive-minded defenseman likely attracted the Penguins, who had the league’s third-worst power play last season. However, it’s unclear how much power play time he’ll get in Pittsburgh with Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson already on the blue line.
“Playing with those special players is a huge opportunity,” Grzelcyk said. “I want to complement them and learn how they play by getting closer and picking their brains to see how I can best support them.”
Grzelcyk hopes to use this year with the Penguins to revive his career after a challenging period in Boston. He’s ready to find his path again in Pittsburgh.
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