Matt Grzelcyk, a defenseman, stated that he has been reflecting on the idea that becoming a Penguin was “meant to be” for him over the past few weeks.
On the first day of free agency, Grzelcyk signed a one-year contract worth $2.75 million with the Penguins. During his early career, Grzelcyk had many pivotal moments in or against Pittsburgh. In the third round of the 2012 NHL Draft, which took place at PPG Paints Arena, he heard the Bruins call his name. He attended Boston University for the following four years before making his NHL debut in Pittsburgh during the 2016–17 campaign. It was his first season playing mostly in the NHL the following year, and he scored his first goal there in a game against the Penguins in Boston. “It’s a full-circle moment,” Grzelcyk remarked on Thursday afternoon during a virtual media availability. “I look back on those memories because they are full of wonderful ones for me. I’m delighted to be able to return there since those were truly wonderful moments.”
After playing for the Bruins for his first eight professional seasons, Grzelcyk, 30, will be participating in his ninth season this year. For the first time in his career, he will have a new residence, albeit he will be joined by a rather well-known figure.
Grzelcyk was coached by David Quinn, the new assistant coach of the Penguins, during his final three seasons as a Terrier while he was a player at Boston University from 2012 to 2016. Grzelcyk has maintained contact with his former coach throughout the years, even though the two have taken on separate positions with different NHL teams. Quinn, who was hired this summer and will be in charge of the defense and power play, is someone he’s glad to be working with once more.
Grzelcyk told me about Quinn, saying, “We’ve kept in touch ever since I moved on from college.” He’s an excellent coach. He’s demanding and a great player to compete against. Although he has high expectations for both you and him, he’s also a tremendously nice guy off the rink who cultivates strong bonds with his players. I’ve been in contact with him for some time, and we get to play golf together once or twice a summer on average. Thus, I’m thrilled to collaborate with him once more.”
Grzelcyk was drawn to the Penguins in free agency for reasons more than merely the chance to collaborate with Quinn, though. The Penguins’ style and how he believes his game would mesh with it have “always caught my eye,” according to him.
“They play really fast, and I feel like that sort of suits my game and how I want to play,” he stated. “They make such a seamless transition. They can beat you in a variety of ways, making them a very dangerous squad when they’re not playing well. They also put up a fierce defense. Since I entered the league, they have been an extremely difficult team to play against, and I have long admired them from a distance.”
Grzelcyk is coming off a disappointing season with the Boston Bruins. In 63 games, he only managed two goals and nine assists, both career lows. Due to upper-body injuries at the beginning of the season and lower-body injuries toward the finish, he missed time. In the playoffs, he was frequently a healthy scratch, playing in just three games prior to the Bruins’ second-round elimination.
He described it as a “pretty frustrating season” all around.
Grzelcyk remarked, “It was kind of a ticky-tacky injury that kept me out.” “I had to miss ten games because I had to go on LTIR. Just getting back and getting used to the speed again was a bit difficult. I wouldn’t entirely blame the injuries; I believe I simply lost some self-assurance along the road. And I believe that it can be difficult for a player to regain that mid-season form.”
Grzelcyk expressed his excitement at “putting it all behind me” and seizing the opportunity to start again with a new group of players.
“I’ve had a really good summer so far,” he stated. “A new team and a fresh opportunity. The squad still has a lot of talent and a strong desire to succeed, so I’m hoping it will give me a little extra motivation when I join them. I’m eager to join the group, therefore.”
It’s unclear exactly where Grzelcyk falls into that group at this point. As a left-handed player, he can realistically play on the left side alongside Marcus Pettersson, Ryan Graves, John Ludvig, and Sebastian Aho, who can be paired with Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, or Jack St. Ivany on the right.
Grzelcyk appears to have a good chance of fitting into one of the top two pairings; it would not be uncharted territory for him. Charlie McAvoy, the top defenseman for the Boston Bruins, was his most frequent five-on-five teammate last season. He spent 609 minutes playing five-on-five with McAvoy, with Brandon Carlo coming in second place with 172 minutes. He might be skating with Karlsson or Letang when the season begins in October.
Regarding his prospective partners, Grzelcyk remarked, “Those are obviously two really special players.” “To be able to play alongside them would be an enormous honor. I consider myself to be one of the NHL’s top defenseman, and I’ve had the privilege of playing with Charlie McAvoy for the past few years. It’s an amazing opportunity. I want to basically give those guys the best compliments I can, learn more about their playing style, and take a closer look at them because they are such unique players. Ideally, we can just become a little bit more intimate and hands-on so that I can pick their brains and determine how best to support them.”
During a somewhat quiet free agency season, Grzelcyk was the Penguins’ biggest signing. He has the potential to be a true blue line boost. He might prove to be a useful addition for the upcoming campaign, whether he plays in a top-four role and beats out Graves, who had a difficult first season as a Penguin, or acts as a seasoned partner for a rookie defenseman like St. Ivany.
Leave a Reply