There are a lot of reasons to keep Matt Grzelcyk beyond his training camp PTO. The Chicago Blackhawks lack veteran depth on the blue line and proven puck movers over 82 games. Plenty of young players project to have that ability, but there is no evidence quite yet.
There is also a lack of experience playing with truly elite players in the locker room. Guys like Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Nick Foligno have been around some incredible players, but Grzelcyk may have the most impressive list of former teammates.
Of course, the Boston Bruins selected Matt Grzelcyk with a third-round pick (85th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. He ended up playing with them for parts of 8 seasons.
During that time, he was a great defender with some puck-moving ability. He played an important role on some great teams alongside superstars like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask.
Last season, as a depth defenseman on the team, Grzelcyk played with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 40 points, which is a career high for him. There are other keys to being a great defenseman in the NHL besides points, but these are some good numbers.
Despite being a lousy team overall, he got to share the ice with legends like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang. So with both of his NHL teams up to this point, he has had some of the best teammates the game has had to offer in the last 10 years. Experiences like this make him the type of veteran worth considering for a young locker room.
Both on and off the ice, Grzelcyk can help players looking to become elite like some of his former teammates. Will Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, or Artyom Levshunov reach that tier? It would take some time, but it’s possible.
Grzelcyk can help them with his play, which is the most important thing, but he can also give them knowledge on how superstars carry themselves if they were to inquire.
It isn’t a guarantee that Grzelcyk makes the team, but this level of time spent with good players is a checked box that makes him worth considering for a roster spot.
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