All stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com.
My next player profile is on defenseman Matt Grzelyck! Grzelyck appeared in 66 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced three goals and 15 assists. He then played in 20 playoff games for the team on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he tallied four goals and four assists. Drafted in the third round (85th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins, Grzelyck has appeared in 129 career NHL games, over which he has recorded six goals and 27 assists. The 25-year-old defenseman has only played for the Bruins organization over his three season NHL and professional career after turning pro following his senior season at Boston University in 2015-16.
Grzelyck has quickly become perhaps the most underrated player on the Bruins’ roster. He’s a strong skating, puck-moving defenseman who’s capable of quarterbacking a power play. While he’s small, listed at 5’9” and 174 pounds, he isn’t afraid to go into the corners, is strong in front of the net and along the boards, and he isn’t easily knocked off of pucks. He’s also a good possession player, with a 51.5 Corsi-for percentage, and was trusted by the coaching staff in the defensive zone, starting 50.2% of his shifts there. As a third-pairing defenseman, those are impressive numbers. Grzelyck’s contract also makes him a steal, at just a $1.4 million AAV, as he could easily play higher in the lineup if there was an open position, and he proved that when the defense was decimated by injuries last season. He’s known as more of an offensive defenseman despite not putting up a lot of points due to his strong puck-moving skills and his ability to quarterback a power play, but he’s also reliable in his own zone. Off the ice, he’s quiet but well-liked, and he has leadership experience, serving as captain at Boston University for his junior and senior seasons, so he will likely become more of a leader on the team as he gets older and gains more experience. He’s a very good all-around player, and in my opinion he is easily the most underrated defenseman the Bruins have, and probably the most underrated player on the roster.
As for what we can expect out of Grzelcyk last season, as I said with several of the others, I think we’ll see more of the same from him. At his age, what we saw last season is pretty much what we will continue to get, but he may improve some as he doesn’t have as much a lot of NHL experience considering how old he is. I think we see him put up several more points next season, especially if he sees a more reliable defensive partner and more power play time. Also, he missed several games last season, so should he play a full season he will almost certainly put up more points. He was also able to step up his production in the playoffs, and if he can do it in that high pressure of an environment, he should be able to continue to do so in the regular season, although it would be unreasonable to expect it at the same rate. He was on pace for 22 points last season, so I would say 30 isn’t out of the question next season. Grzelcyk is a valuable member on the Bruins roster due to his ability to play up and down the lineup, and a steal at his cap hit. He should continue his strong play last season and improve upon it a little bit, but as with everyone else, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in training camp and over the course of the season.
Hockey Addict 