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Matt Grzelcyk

Chicago Blackhawks To Sign Matt Grzelcyk

October 5, 2025 at 10:05 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu 12 Comments

The Chicago Blackhawks will be signing defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year NHL contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Grzelcyk, who is repped by Quartexx’s Sean Coffey, had been with the Blackhawks for their preseason and training camp on a PTO. He has now earned a deal to remain there on a full-time basis. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the deal is worth $1MM over its one-year term. The Blackhawks have now officially confirmed the signing.

Grzelcyk played in three preseason contests for the Blackhawks, though he did not register a point. It was somewhat surprising to see Grzelcyk sign a PTO in Chicago, as his performance in 2024-25 suggested he would not have an issue finding another NHL contract.

In the summer of 2024 Grzelcyk signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that was coming off of the least productive season of his NHL career, one in which he scored just 11 points in 63 games.

So after a season in which Grzelcyk found his way onto the Penguins’ power play and scored a career-high 40 points in 82 games, it was generally believed that Grzelcyk would have no issue finding an NHL deal for 2025-26. But that proved not to be the case, as Grzelcyk lingered on the open market and settled for a PTO with the Blackhawks

Perhaps the 2023 free agency of Erik Gustafsson can be pointed to when evaluating why Grzelcyk had such a difficult time on the open market, despite his 40 points of production. Like Grzelcyk, Gustafsson is also an offensively-oriented defenseman without penalty-killing ability or much shutdown value. And like Grzelcyk, Gustafsson entered his unrestricted free agency in 2023 coming off of a season where he produced quite well – 42 points in 70 games.

But just as Grzelcyk experienced this past summer, offers for Gustafsson were softer than some may have expected, and he chose to sign a one-year, $825K contract with the New York Rangers, a far lower number than most expected for a blueliner with his production. We even noted in our coverage at the time our surprise at the relatively low cost of the contract despite Gustafsson’s production.

Of course, things ended up working out for Gustafsson as he parlayed a 31-point season with the Rangers (one that included a deep playoff run) into a two-year, $2MM AAV deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Although a similar long playoff run is highly unlikely for the Blackhawks, Grzelcyk will likely be hoping that he can continue to follow Gustafsson’s trajectory and have a strong year that prompts stronger leaguewide interest next summer.

Grzelcyk will be competing with some talented young defensemen in Chicago for a spot on the team’s power play, and 2022 first-rounder Sam Rinzel appears to be, at this stage, his most significant barrier to obtaining the role of first-unit puck distributor. But the path to at least a second-unit deployment is far clearer, which means this is a somewhat ideal situation for Grzelcyk. And seeing as this contract is just for one year at a limited cap hit, strong performance for the still-rebuilding Blackhawks could, later in the season, even earn the veteran blueliner a trade to a contender in need of defensive reinforcement.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Chicago Blackhawks| NHL| Newsstand| Transactions Matt Grzelcyk

12 comments

Snapshots: Ullmark, Buium, Sturm, Grzelcyk

September 19, 2025 at 8:01 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is ready to enter the year with a high bar. He was heavily critical of his performances through the first two days of training camp, describing them as “terrible” to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Head coach Travis Green wasn’t as harsh, telling Garioch that he thought Ullmark was fine through both days, and only being hard on himself.

While harsh words could be a sign of poor confidence, the Senators have to be encouraged by signs of a high bar from their star netminder. Ullmark posted a career-low .910 save percentage through 44 games last season, his first in Ottawa. That mark still ranked as  the seventh-highest in the NHL, but was well below Ullmark’s career-long .917 save percentage. The Senators pay Ullmark a lofty $8.25MM cap hit, beginning this season. That will make finding a path back to elite performance a must for the 32-year-old netminder, and former Vezina Trophy winner.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Top Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium sustained an upper-body injury during the team’s Thursday practice, and missed Friday’s practice as a result, per Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports. Nico Sturm was also absent for a designated maintenance day. McLellan adds that head coach John Hynes wasn’t concerned about Buium’s injury. That’s good news for Buium, who is looking to make the NHL roster in his first NHL training camp. He was a prolific collegiate defensemen – netting 24 goals, 98 points, one conference championship, and one national championship in 83 games and two seasons with the University of Denver. Buium was a main cog in the Pioneeers’ offense, and will now look to use that instinct to impress Minnesota’s coaching staff. Per this update, he’ll get back to doing just that within the next few days.
  • Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill shed some more light on the team’s plans for Matt Grzelcyk’s professional try-out. He told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times that Grzelcyk will likely only get a contract if one of the team’s young defensemen doesn’t look NHL-ready out of camp. Chicago will roll out the carpet for Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Kevin Korchinski at training camp. All three are high-upside defenders, each boasting their own reasons for excitement next season. But Rinzel hasn’t yet played through an extended run in the NHL, and Korchinski has proven shaky in past opportunities. It’s still hard to bet against either player, but Chicago made sure to hedge their bets with an NHL veteran coming off a 40-point season. Grzelcyk has played through nine NHL seasons and 527 games – and should be stout depth should the Hawks need to let one of their youngsters simmer a little while longer.

Chicago Blackhawks| Injury| Minnesota Wild| NHL| Ottawa Senators| Snapshots Linus Ullmark| Matt Grzelcyk| Nico Sturm| Zeev Buium

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Blackhawks Sign Matt Grzelcyk To PTO

September 16, 2025 at 11:16 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 9 Comments

The leading point scorer among free agent defensemen this summer will have to settle for a camp tryout. Matt Grzelcyk is heading to the Blackhawks on a PTO, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Chicago later confirmed the signing by listing Grzelcyk on their training camp roster.

While the market for Grzelcyk wasn’t near what he or anyone else expected, it’s still jarring to see a rearguard with the platform season he had not land a guaranteed contract heading into camp. The 31-year-old lefty was also a UFA last summer but landed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Penguins on the first day of free agency. That contract led to expanded ice time in Pittsburgh, where he saw some power-play usage and averaged north of 20 minutes per game for the first time in his nine-year career. He played all 82 games – the first time he’s ever done that, too – and ranked third on the team with 39 assists. Only Sidney Crosby (58) and Erik Karlsson (42) had more.

Individual defensive acumen and a lack of physicality remain the 5’10” defender’s limiting factors. Still, he was at least able to prove once again that he can be a productive puck-mover in a top-four role as he was for many years in Boston, serving as a routine Charlie McAvoy partner for a good chunk of his early career. That led AFP Analytics to project a three-year contract for Grzelcyk in the $3.75MM range annually on the open market, while we projected a slightly cheaper deal and ranked him No. 22 among all unrestricted free agents this summer.

Grzelcyk now heads to training camp in Chicago, where the Blackhawks will welcome him as insurance for the league’s most inexperienced defense group. Connor Murphy is the only defender under contract in the Windy City over the age of 25. Alex Vlasic, at 24 years of age and 179 games of NHL experience, is the club’s top lefty by a wide margin.

Most expected the Hawks to completely hand the keys over to their younger blue-liners this season. Their lack of notable moves on offense signaled they weren’t anticipating jumping back into playoff contention just yet as their rebuild enters its later stages. Even then, there simply may be too many question marks behind Vlasic on Chicago’s left side on defense to make general manager Kyle Davidson comfortable entering camp without any other options. The right side is fairly set with Murphy, 2024 No. 2 overall pick Artyom Levshunov, and 2022 first-rounder Sam Rinzel expected to anchor their own pairings. However, behind Vlasic on the left, there’s no clear No. 2 or No. 3.

That’s not to say Chicago doesn’t have options, but they do lack clarity. Wyatt Kaiser, 23, could be the frontrunner for second-pairing minutes but is still a restricted free agent. 2022 No. 7 overall pick Kevin Korchinski played just 16 NHL games last season with two assists. Defensive-minded lefties Nolan Allan and Ethan Del Mastro both held their own in NHL minutes last season but are far from finished products. Grzelcyk offers a safe plug-and-play option as their second lefty behind Vlasic, buying them time to sort out everyone else’s readiness. Leaving him on a tryout gives the Blackhawks an easy out if they do decide to let names like Allan and Korchinski run with regular minutes out of the gate.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Chicago Blackhawks| Newsstand| Transactions Matt Grzelcyk

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Poll: Will Jack Roslovic Or Matt Grzelcyk Sign First?

August 9, 2025 at 8:15 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

We’re closing in on a month before the start of informal rookie camps around the league. Of PHR’s Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents, 45 have already found new homes for the upcoming campaign – including 23 of the top 25 names.

The two missing from that group are three-position forward Jack Roslovic and left-shot defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. While Roslovic has had strong interest from multiple teams all summer long and appears to be playing the long game to drive up desperation as teams miss out on other forward options, Grzelcyk’s market hasn’t been as fervent.

In fact, there’s been essentially no firmly documented interest in Grzelcyk since July 1. That’s despite the 31-year-old entering the signing window with the most points among UFA defensemen last year, notching a career-best 1-39–40 scoring line with the Penguins.

There are some clear reasons for his smaller-than-expected market. He’s on the small side for a rearguard at 5’10” and 180 lbs, doesn’t play much of a physical game at all, and has something of an injury history. He played all 82 games last season for the first time, eclipsing the 70-game mark for the third time in nine years.

That being said, he has strong results in a complementary top-four role next to a more all-around dominant righty. The vast majority of his 527-game NHL career was spent with the Bruins alongside Charlie McAvoy, where he consistently put up 20 to 30 points per season and never had a negative rating.

Last year’s -6 mark on his one-year deal with the Pens isn’t much of a blemish, either. That came with more taxing minutes than he’s used to – averaging a career-high 20:37 per game – and he had better per-60 defensive results at even strength than Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang while also generating more offense than them on the power play.

Few teams would give Grzelcyk the top-unit PP deployment he had throughout the year in Pittsburgh, making another 40-point year unlikely. Still, there’s been an eerie silence around the market for someone who checks out as a highly serviceable No. 4/5 option on most teams who’s comfortable playing on any pairing.

Roslovic’s free agency has been covered more at length as a result of his more widespread interest. Last month, we published free agent profiles on both Grzelcyk and Roslovic.

He’s been connected most firmly to the Canucks and Maple Leafs over the past several weeks, but any team with at least $3MM to $4MM in cap space to accommodate him should be viewed as a legitimate contender for his services. Roslovic’s selling point is his versatility – he may not have the scoring consistency required of a bona fide top-six option. Still, few players could legitimately slot into any spot on any line and find a way to make things work like he can.

Like Grzelcyk, Roslovic is coming off something of a career year in his platform season, although his age advantage by three years strengthens his case for a multi-year deal. While he fell short of his career-high in points in 2024-25, he tied his mark in goals (22) in quite limited deployment with the Hurricanes, averaging under 14 minutes per game for the first time since 2018-19. He’s comfortably averaged 43 points per 82 games over the past three seasons and should be a solid bet to hit that mark again in 2025-26, especially if he sees a bump in minutes.

All that being said, who do you think will come off the UFA list first? Tell us what you think in the poll below and expand on your thoughts in the comments:

Who will sign first?
Jack Roslovic 74.58% (308 votes)
Matt Grzelcyk 25.42% (105 votes)
Total Votes: 413

Polls| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Jack Roslovic| Matt Grzelcyk

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Free Agent Profile: Matt Grzelcyk

July 21, 2025 at 8:25 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 5 Comments

After spending eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. While he got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh, Grzelcyk eventually found his stride, posting several career highs along the way, including points (40), blocked shots (101), and games played (82). He also averaged a career-high 20:37 of ice time per game.

For teams looking to add offense this late in free agency, Grzelcyk’s 40 points last season actually leads all remaining unsigned players. However, teams will truly be targeting a reliable third-pairing defenseman who can slide up the lineup and log big minutes when needed.

After a few disappointing seasons to end his stint with the Bruins, the Boston-native signed a one-year, $2.75 MM contract with Pittsburgh in hopes of rejuvenating his career. While he may not have done enough to earn a lucrative multi-year deal, Grzelcyk showed well despite Pittsburgh’s difficult situation and should still warrant a role with an NHL team in need of a left-handed depth option on the blue line.

As the top remaining free agent defenseman, Grzelcyk should find a new home soon. Grzelcyk, 31, is the only defenseman left on the board among ProHockeyRumors’ top 50.

Stats

2024-25: 81 GP, 1 G, 39 A, 40 PTS, -4, 16 PIMS, 101 blocked shots, 43 hits, 20:37 ATOI
Career: 527 GP, 26 G, 149 A, 175 PTS, +131, 253 PIMS, 542 blocked shots, 353 hits, 18:27 ATOI

Potential Suitors

While a reunion with the Penguins once seemed possible, the team’s recent addition of fellow veteran Matt Dumba may have officially closed the door on that option. While Pittsburgh has the cap flexibility to add Grzelcyk, the team currently has eight defensemen signed to one-way deals, with prospects Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke waiting in the wings. A hometown reunion with the Bruins also seems out of play, as Boston is limited in both cap space (approximately $2MM per PuckPedia) and need for a left-handed defender. With that said, plenty of other suitors should be in play, as contending teams like the Maple Leafs and younger teams looking to add veteran presence and leadership, such as the Blackhawks, could all benefit from Grzelcyk’s services. The Sharks appeared to be a potential fit for Grzelcyk at the start of free agency but have made blue line deals elsewhere this offseason.

Projected Contract

Before free agency, ProHockeyRumors ranked Grzelcyk as the 22nd-best free agent on the market, and predicted a three-year, $3.67MM AAV deal. He was ranked just ahead of Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, who would both go on to sign multi-year deals with the Kings. However, this late in the process, Grzelcyk is probably more likely to land another one-year deal with a low salary. In fact, Grzelcyk may be looking at an identical contract to the one he signed in Pittsburgh last season, just south of $3MM.

2025 Free Agency| Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Grzelcyk

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Poll: Top Remaining Free Agent

July 16, 2025 at 9:05 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 9 Comments

More than two weeks into NHL free agency, it’s no surprise that the top-tier players on the market have already secured deals. In fact, many secondary and depth signings have also been completed. According to PuckPedia, 244 contracts have been signed, totaling just over $1 billion.

Still, there are a few recognizable names left on the open market who could make positive contributions at the NHL level. Let’s take a look at the list and assess who’s most likely to succeed.

D Matt Grzelcyk – Believe it or not, Grzelcyk’s 40 points last season is tops among all remaining free agents. After spending eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, Grzelcyk signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. After a slow start in Pittsburgh, Grzelcyk hit his stride and showcased his highest career point total despite scoring just one goal on the year. The 31-year-old left-shot defenseman should give a team a reliable option on a third pairing. In 527 career games, Grzelcyk has posted 175 points and a plus-131 rating. With a thinning market for blue liners remaining, he should find a new home soon.

F Jack Roslovic – Despite a 20-plus goal season last year, center Jack Roslovic is still searching for a new home. After signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason, Roslovic posted 22 goals and 39 points on the year, while adding one goal and four points in nine playoff games. While Roslovic showcased an incredible turnaround in the faceoff circle with a 54.1 percent win rate (compared to his career average of 44.4), his 13:49 average ice time per game was his lowest since 2018-19. He also had a career-high 63 giveaways last season. While the Maple Leafs expressed interest in Roslovic earlier in free agency, the forward remains unsigned.

F Victor Olofsson – While Olofsson struggled to stay healthy last season (a common theme for his career), the 29-year-old winger produced 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games for the Vegas Golden Knights. That put Olofsson on an 82-game pace of 22 goals and 42 points, which would have been the most he’s scored since notching his career-high 49 points in the 2021-22 season. He also chipped in two goals and four points in nine playoff games. Olofsson has produced three career 20-plus goal campaigns, including 28 with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2022-23 campaign. He could provide quality depth scoring, and perhaps even more if he stays healthy. The native of Sweden has played more than 72 games in a season just once (75 in 2022–23).

F Joel Kiviranta – While Kiviranta produced 16 goals in 79 games this season with the Colorado Avalanche, it far exceeded what he’s showcased throughout the rest of his NHL career. Last season, Kiviranta posted a 19 percent shooting percentage, nearly doubling his career average of 10.9 percent. With that said, he made the most of his career-high 12:31 average ice time, which included setting career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, faceoff percentage, and blocked shots. However, the well dried up in the postseason, as Kiviranta went scoreless in seven games. In 298 career games, the 29-year-old Kiviranta has produced 35 goals and 60 points.

F Luke Kunin – The last remaining free agent who produced double digit goal scoring last season is Kunin, who lit the lamp 11 times in 63 games for the San Jose Sharks before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the deadline. While Kunin’s time in Colombus didn’t prove to be a good fit (zero points in 12 games), he has proven to be a quality physical presence throughout his eight-year career, and the 27-year-old has received interest from several teams during free agency.

F Robby Fabbri – When healthy, Fabbri has been a solid contributor throughout his nine-year NHL career. However, like Olofsson, Fabbri has struggled to stay on the ice. That was no different last season with the Anaheim Ducks, where Fabbri fought through knee surgery and a hand injury that took away nearly half his season. He ended up posting eight goals and 16 assists in 44 games. The 29-year-old does have four seasons of at least 15 goals under his belt but has never played more than 72 games in a season. In 442 career games, Fabbri has produced 106 goals and 216 points.

Let us know below which remaining free agent will make the most significant impact in the 2025-26 season.

Who Is The Best Remaining Free Agent?
Jack Roslovic 49.46% (876 votes)
Matt Grzelcyk 24.90% (441 votes)
Victor Olofsson 9.20% (163 votes)
Robby Fabbri 6.44% (114 votes)
Luke Kunin 3.90% (69 votes)
Other 3.50% (62 votes)
Joel Kiviranta 2.60% (46 votes)
Total Votes: 1,771

 

 

 

 

2025 Free Agency| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Jack Roslovic| Joel Kiviranta| Luke Kunin| Matt Grzelcyk| Robby Fabbri| Victor Olofsson

9 comments

Penguins Notes: Grzelcyk, Acciari, Koivunen

April 18, 2025 at 8:53 pm CDT | by Paul Griser 2 Comments

While veteran defender Matt Grzelcyk is set for free agency, he isn’t ruling out a return to the Pittsburgh Penguins, per team play-by-play commentator Josh Getzoff. Grzelcyk told reporters today that the team welcomed him with open arms and that he appreciated the trust the coaching staff showed in him. Despite a rough start to the year, the 31-year-old veteran played in all 82 games on the season and produced a career high 40 points while averaging 20:37 ice time per game. He signed a one-year, $2.75MM contract with Pittsburgh last summer after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Boston Bruins.

In other Penguins news:

  • Veteran depth forward Noel Acciari noted he’s been dealing with a hip injury that he’s hopeful to rehab this summer and avoid surgery, per Seth Rorabaugh of TribSports. Acciari played in 79 games for the Pens this season, posting five goals and 12 points while serving as the team’s primary fourth line center. He added 180 hits and 100 blocked shots, and a 53.7 faceoff percentage while also serving as a primary penalty killer. Acciari has one year left on his $2MM AAV contract.
  • Penguins’ rookie Ville Koivunen impressed in his late season call-up, and he expects to continue that success starting next season, per a team release. Koivunen appeared in the final eight games of the regular season and posted seven assists, including one in each of the final five games of the season. He added 55 points in 62 AHL games this year. He told reporters today that the final stretch of the season gives him the confidence to know that he can succeed in the NHL, as well as an understanding of what he needs to improve upon for next season. Koivunen was one of the key pieces the Penguins received in last season’s Jake Guentzel trade, and he serves as one of the club’s top forward prospects next to Rutger McGroarty, Vasili Ponomaryov, and Tanner Howe. The play of Koivunen and McGroarty down the stretch of the season caught the attention of captain Sidney Crosby, who told reporters today that their play was “definitely promising.” Crosby added that Koivunen and McGroarty’s energy and hunger creates healthy competition for the Pens moving forward.

Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Grzelcyk| Noel Acciari| Ville Koivunen

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Matt Grzelcyk Hoping To Stay With Penguins

March 29, 2025 at 8:35 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 5 Comments

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is in the midst of a career year and has made it clear that he is hoping to earn an extension with the Penguins to remain in Pittsburgh beyond this season (as per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). Grzelcyk is quoted as saying  “I would love to be here,” and adds that he hopes to leave a good impression in the final weeks of the season to get an extension for next year. Grzelcyk had some trouble adjusting to his new team in the early going but settled in later in the year, playing alongside Kris Letang.

The Penguins opted not to trade the 31-year-old at the NHL Trade Deadline, and the question for Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has now become, do they want to commit a few years to a small, aging defenseman who is coming off a career year? Grzelcyk should be able to fetch a raise on a multi-year deal this summer, and if it’s too rich for Penguins, the Charlestown, Massachusetts native will be relocating for a second straight summer.

Grzelcyk was a homegrown fan favorite in Boston and showed flashes of being an offensive defenseman. However, he never tallied more than 26 points in a season and didn’t have many opportunities to utilize his offensive skillset. This year, Grzelcyk has had an opportunity to do so and has capitalized on it, tallying a goal and 34 assists in 74 games while averaging 20:27 of ice time per game. His underlying numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but given the Penguins’ lack of depth on the left side of their defense, he’s become a top-pair defender for the rest of the season.

Whether Grzelcyk stays in Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but he has made the most of his opportunity with the Penguins and has resurrected a career that was in limbo when he exited Boston last summer.

Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Grzelcyk

5 comments

Penguins Should Look To Re-Sign Matt Grzelcyk

March 23, 2025 at 8:49 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 5 Comments

Kelsey Surmacz of The Hockey News made the case that the Pittsburgh Penguins should re-sign pending UFA defenseman Matt Grzelcyk before he hits the market on July 1st. The veteran has been a good fit in Pittsburgh, and bringing him back on a short-term deal makes sense in a vacuum as the Penguins are very thin on the left side going forward. Grzelcyk has set career highs this season in multiple offensive categories, as the 31-year-old has a goal and 31 assists in 71 games while averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time in his career.

He’s become an important piece of the Penguins’ defense core, and the team opted to hang onto him rather than move him at the NHL Trade Deadline. Grzelcyk’s veteran presence has mentored some of Pittsburgh’s younger players and could be valuable during a re-tool. Surmacz believes that Pittsburgh should look at a one or two-year deal for Grzelcyk, which would make sense as the Penguins don’t look like they’ll be bottoming out, and they likely won’t be making any major additions over the next year. Many Penguins insiders believe that Pittsburgh hopes to contend for the playoffs again in the 2026-27 season, and while Grzelcyk shouldn’t be a top-four defenseman on a contending team, he could serve as valuable depth when the Penguins are ready to make a push.

While a short-term deal would suit Pittsburgh, it likely wouldn’t be Grzelcyk’s preferred outcome. The Charlestown, Massachusetts native has rebounded this season and could be looking at his last opportunity to cash in a lucrative contract. Playing under a one-year,  $2.75MM deal that he signed in free agency last summer, it’s not hard to imagine him receiving three-year offers this upcoming summer with an increased salary cap and very few options available.

Pittsburgh Penguins Matt Grzelcyk

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Injury Notes: Kreider, Grzelcyk, Cooley

February 23, 2025 at 5:28 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

Before today’s game against the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, the former announced a minor injury just before puck drop. The Rangers shared winger Chris Kreider is out with an upper-body injury although his recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day.

It’s difficult to pinpoint any specific moment for Kreider’s current injury. The veteran forward has been dealing with a recurrent back spasms issue for much of the regular season, while he could also be one of the several players to succumb to a minor injury throughout the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Still, despite the specifics of the injury, Kreider did participate in the Rangers’ first game back from the tournament. Despite the team being completely outclassed by the Buffalo Sabres, Kreider scored one goal over 15 minutes in yesterday’s contest joining Mika Zibanejad as the only New York forward to not have a negative rating.

Other injury notes:

  • Hopping over to the other side of today’s Metropolitan Division tilt, the Penguins announced defenseman Matt Grzelcyk won’t return to the game due to an upper-body injury. The pending unrestricted free agent only skated in five minutes of today’s action before being hit from behind by Ranger forward Matt Rempe. Rempe was originally reprimanded with a five-minute major only to be downgraded to a two-minute minor call.
  • The Utah Hockey Club could be short-handed when they play their first home game in 19 days tonight. According to Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports, Utah forward Logan Cooley is a game-time decision for this evening’s event. Cooley is confirmed to be dealing with a lower-body issue but it’s not severe enough to warrant a concrete absence from the lineup. The sophomore center is only one point away from tying his total production from last year scoring 15 goals and 43 points in 50 games.

Injury| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Utah Mammoth Chris Kreider| Logan Cooley| Matt Grzelcyk| Matt Rempe

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