Bruins re-sign defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to 4-year contract
The Charlestown native is staying with his hometown team.
Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and the Bruins have agreed to a four-year deal worth $14.75 million, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
Grzelcyk would have headed to arbitration Wednesday, Oct. 20, as a restricted free agent, but the sides reached an agreement before that happened. The deal comes with an annual cap hit of $3,687,500.
“I had a lot of conversations with our coaching staff about where they see the player fitting in and how he affects our transition game, his ability to move the puck and our D-zone exits,” general manager Don Sweeney said. “And the rest is up to Matt to take advantage of a pretty good opportunity for him moving forward.”
The Bruins originally selected Grzelcyk, a Charlestown native, in the third round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
He’s appeared in 197 career games with the team over three full professional seasons, totaling 10 goals and 44 assists for 54 points with a plus-45 rating. The 26-year-old has also added four goals and six assists in 43 playoff games.
Grzelcyk played in 68 games this past season, tallying four goals and 17 assists with a plus-15 rating.
Sweeney acknowledged the Bruins and Grzelcyk initially had a gap and had to work to find a happy medium.
“It took a while to find a landing spot,” Sweeney said. “There are a lot of variables in play.”
Exxxxxxcelent 27 year old to be in January player for 3.6. I think he can get closer to 40 points with Krug’s Power Play minutes. Great skater, good 5 on 5 defender. https://t.co/xbHDHV37qN
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) October 17, 2020
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