Why the Bruins need Grzelcyk to step up now and next season
Grzelcyk an elite skater who can keep up with even the speediest of forwards. He also is capable in his defensive zone, as he usually takes care of the puck and avoid turnovers.
Although he doesn’t put up a lot of points, Grzelcyk can provide some offense. He can lead breakouts out of the defensive zones with quick, on-time passes to his forwards. And, Grzelcyk isn’t afraid to jump into the rush.
Based on everything we’ve seen with Grzelcyk so far, he looks like a top-four defenseman who can skate and move the puck. His current spot on the third pair with Connor Clifton is more the result of Boston’s defensive depth than anything else.
He may be on the third pair now, but Grzelcyk figures to be a bigger piece of Boston’s defense in the next few years.
Look at the two defensemen above Grzelcyk on the depth chart. Zdeno Chara‘s on the top pair, and he continues to defy father time with strong play at age 42. Chara is only on a one-year deal, and given his age, this could be his last season.
Then there’s Torey Krug, who’s on the second defense pair and the top power play unit. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He and the team both expressed interest in a new contract, but until he signs that new deal, we can’t fully count on Krug next season.
Grzelcyk too isn’t signed for next season, but he’ll be a restricted free agent for Boston. That means he’s the only left-shot defenseman on the roster who is under team control for next season.
With Chara’s possible retirement and Krug’s looming free agency, the Bruins will need Grzelcyk more than ever next season. Even with prospects like Urho Vaakanainen and Jeremy Lauzon in the pipeline, Grzelcyk figures to be a big part of Boston’s defense for 2020 and beyond.
We saw Grzelcyk really elevate his game last year and show that he fits in a top-four role. He’ll need to continue this development to add much-needed consistency and structure to Boston’s defense.