Boston Bruins: Matt Grzelcyk Appears Healthy and Ready
Boston Bruins: Matt Grzelcyk Appears Healthy and Ready for 2016-17 Season
Every Wednesday night he pulls on the gray #5 sweater and takes to the ice, usually with former Boston University teammate Jack Eichel and fellow Charlestown native Jimmy Vesey. For Matt Grzelcyk, though, his road to the National Hockey League may not be as smooth and quick as those of Eichel and Vesey.
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Jack Eichel was the second pick in the 2015 draft, selected only behind Connor McDavid. Eichel scored 24 goals and had 32 assists last year and will be a stalwart in the Buffalo Sabres line-up for years to come. Jimmy Vesey may or may not continue to be a future line-mate of Eichel’s. Originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft by the Nashville Predators, Vesey did not sign upon playing his four years at Harvard, and became a free-agent. Buffalo traded for his rights, and they have until August 15th to sign him or Vesey is free to sign with any team in the league, and his services will be coveted if he is still unsigned by then.
For Matt Grzelcyk, there are no guarantees he’ll be playing against Eichel, and either with or against Vesey in 2016-17 in the NHL. Selected 85th overall in the third round of the 2012 draft by the Bruins, Grzelcyk played for four years at Boston University, where he captained the team his junior and senior years.
Grzelcyk draws comparisons to Torey Krug. They are both similar in size (Grzelcyk is 5 foot 10, 175 pounds, and Krug is listed at 5 foot 9, 186 pounds.) and both played with an offensive flair as collegiate defensemen (Krug spent three years at Michigan State University prior to signing with the Bruins as a free agent.)
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Grzelcyk faces a couple of obstacles in making the Boston roster this upcoming season. The first is the logjam at defense. With a projected top six of Zdeno Chara, Kevin Miller, Krug, Adam McQuaid, Joe Morrow and John Michael-Liles, it will be a tough line-up to crack. It will be even tougher if they sign a free-agent such as Kris Russell, or make a deal to acquire Kevin Shattenkirk.
Another obstacle that Grzelcyk appears to have overcome are some injuries he has suffered in recent years. Last year at this time he was recovering from ACL surgery and didn’t skate at all during the summer. As a sophomore at B.U. he missed a good portion of his season following a separated shoulder.
Next: Matt Grzelcyk in Mix of Bruins Future
Based on his play this summer, he certainly appears agile, mobile and healthy. Still just 22 years old, he appears to have a future at some point on the aging Bruins blue line.