Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk

One of the Pittsburgh Penguins' first moves in free agency was to sign veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal valued at $2.75 million.

One of the first players the Pittsburgh Penguins signed in free agency was defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, formerly of the Boston Bruins, to a one-year deal valued at $2.75 million.

As an eight-year NHL veteran with 445 games, all with Boston, Grzelcyk will come to Pittsburgh and find a spot in the second or third pairing. 

Since 2021, his ice time has dipped from a career-high of 19:45 down to 17:36 in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he's not overly physical, with just an average of 38 hits a season, but he is most often ready to block a shot, with more than 76 in each of the past three seasons.

Grzelcyk played in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, which Boston lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games. He was a fixture in postseason lineups more often in the early years of his career, drawing into only three games during the Bruins' run to the second round in 2023-24.

He's played in 66 playoff games and has 14 points, but his playoff rating is minus-19 compared to his plus-137 regular season rating. 

After General Manager Kyle Dubas acquired Erik Karlsson last summer, he had to make more subtle moves in 2024 to shore up the defense and ensure there was still cap room to tweak as the summer and season rolled along. 

Hopefully, a change of scenery will rejuvenate Grzelcyk, and he can return to the form that saw him reach 20 points in four of the past five campaigns.