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.
Do this only if you are looking to suck again and/or if you don’t trade karlsson. He has been decent on the power play and can play reasonably well with karlsson. If they are trying to retool and come back better, he has no place on this team.
At 31 and having a career year, I’m not sure why he would take a short-term deal, especially before July 1st. Seems like a good chance to get his best contract and it’s not like he would be staying with a projected contender.
If for some reason he wants to sign the same deal he signed last summer, OK. But, he won’t, so…
He hasn’t been good enough for me to learn how to spell his name yet, but the kid we got from Utah has been pretty good and earned an extended look next year.
Between Shea and POJ, that’s another LHD spot.
And then we still have Pickering.
And…of course…Ryan Graves is going nowhere.
On the right side, Timmins has earned a longer look, as well.
Pickering/Letang
VK/EK
Shea (or POJ)/Timmins
Graves
Unless they can move EK (maybe) that’s likely what next year’s D looks like.
Was honestly quite surprised he wasn’t moved at the deadline.
Must not have been very good offers. I imagine a ufa on a bad team should be traded for just about anything. Either they do want to sign him and they kept him, which seems unlikely, or no one offered anything.