Chicago Blackhawks sign Matt Grzelcyk to one-year contract
Veteran defenceman Matt Grzelcyk has turned his professional tryout agreement into a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Grzelcyk had been on the open market much longer than expected this past offseason, and the Blackhawks took a chance on the offensive blueliner, and frankly, it's paid off in spades. At this time of publishing, the cap hit is unknown.
Grzelcyk is coming off a decent season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which he made $2.75 million last season. He was supposed to be one of the best two-way options on the free-agent market, but team after team was steering clear of his services. The Blackhawks now hope he can help them provide some veteran stability on the back end, and chip in with some secondary scoring.
Grzelcyk appeared in three preseason games for the Blackhawks, and while he was held off the scoresheet, he impressed GM Kyle Davidson enough with his ability to create and be a two-way option for their blueline with crisp outlet passes and an ability to jump into the rush on a dime.
The Blackhawks need some more depth on D, as Alex Vlasic is currently day-to-day with an injury, along with the fact that Kevin Korchinski, who many expected to have a roster spot, was sent down to the AHL last week.
