The Chicago Blackhawks took one of the final notable free agents off the market Sunday when they signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $1-million contract. The veteran blueliner played last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, for whom he posted a career-high 39 points in 82 games. 

Thus, you can see why it was surprising to some that Grzelcyk didn’t get a longer, more lucrative contract from any team this summer. But on a Blackhawks squad that needs all the experience and offense it can get, Grzelcyk is going to have opportunities to showcase himself for a better payday – most likely, on a different team.

The 31-year-old Grzelcyk doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move protection, so if Chicago isn't close to a Stanley Cup playoff position, the Hawks can trade Grzelcyk by or before the trade deadline. Given his relatively bargain-basement salary cap hit, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson may be able to work up some semblance of a bidding war for Grzelcyk’s services. 

That’s essentially what Davidson created for the organization with this deal for the D-man who spent seven of his first eight years with the Boston Bruins. Grzelcyk is almost certainly aware he’s probably not going to be in Chicago for a long time. The Hawks’ young defenseman can benefit from Grzelcyk’s know-how, but he has still got to look out for himself financially, so Grzelcyk will no doubt go where the money leads him next summer, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Sometimes, market conditions will dictate what any one NHLer can receive from one year to another. Grzelcyk was probably baffled as to why there wasn’t more interest in him this summer, but he has the next six months to effectively shop himself around and set the table for a longer, richer deal. 

Grzelcyk has never posted more than five goals in a single season – and he’s only put up more than 20 points just twice in his career. So he’s not going to break the bank whenever and wherever he signs his next contract. But some teams that need offense will look at Grzelcyk’s assist total from last year and tell themselves Grzelcyk can be a decent depth acquisition. So we’d be shocked if Grzelcyk finished the year in the Windy City.

Grzelcyk will likely begin the season on Chicago’s third defense pairing, and that’s a good place for him. He doesn’t need to deal with major expectations, but he can do the Blackhawks a service by being a pro and a decent contributor. If Grzelcyk can do that, Davidson is going to be happy he signed him.

Correction: an earlier headline misspelled Grzelcyk's last name. We apologize for the error.

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