Matt Grzelcyk is still waiting for his next NHL deal, and with August nearly here, the former Bruins defenseman remains one of the more notable names left on the free agent market.
A month into NHL free agency, most of the top UFAs have already found new homes. Grzelcyk, though, is still unsigned after his most recent season with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he put up 12 assists and a minus-9 rating in 69 games.
The season before that, with Pittsburgh, Grzelcyk delivered the best offensive numbers of his career. He scored one goal and finished with career highs in both assists and points, recording 39 assists and 40 points in 82 games.
There is still a chance his situation changes before the season begins. Teams in need of experienced defensive depth could take a look at him on a one-year contract or even a professional tryout (PTO). At this stage, he profiles as a possible bottom-pairing defenseman or seventh defenseman for an NHL club.
Grzelcyk’s NHL path started in Boston, where the Bruins picked him 85th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He played 445 games for the Bruins from 2016-17 through 2023-24, producing 25 goals, 110 assists, 135 points, and a plus-137 rating. A big chunk of that run came alongside Charlie McAvoy on Boston’s top pairing.
A return to Boston looks unlikely with the Bruins’ blue line already crowded, but a new NHL opportunity for Grzelcyk before the season starts still can’t be ruled out.