Sabres Make Matt Grzelcyk Announcement With Possible Pairing

Matt Grzelcyk skates for the Blackhawks.

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 06: Matt Grzelcyk #48 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at the United Center on March 06, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Buffalo Sabres signed veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on Friday to help make up for some injuries to their defensive core.

On Saturday, Grzelcyk will make his Sabres debut.

They’re playing their preseason finale, and they announced the roster on Saturday morning. Grzelcyk will be suiting up and on the ice.

Matt Grzelcyk on Roster

Grzelcyk is one of six defensemen listed on the roster for the preseason finale Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The other five blue-liners active are Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Conor Timmins, Zach Metsa and Louis Crevier.

There has been some speculation that Grzelcyk would make sense as a partner for Power. If that’s the case, that pairing will likely show up often in the preseason finale as the Sabres try to make sure they have everything in order for the season ahead.

Grzelcyk isn’t guaranteed to be on the regular season roster, but a signing of a veteran this late in the game suggests he certainly thinks he can make the team.

Who is Matt Grzelcyk?

Matt Grzelcyk is a 32-year old defenseman from the state of Massachusetts.

He played at Boston University, and the Boston Bruins drafted him in the third round, No. 85 overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. He’s got the nickname Mayor of Boston on his Hockey Reference page, and it’s clear that he calls that state home.

Grzelcyk played the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Bruins. That includes six seasons of 60 games or more.

Overall, he had 445 appearances for Boston and recorded 25 goals and 110 assists for 135 points.

Grzelcyk then wen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for 2024-25 and had a career year. He played in all 82 games and dished out 39 assists to go with one goal for a career-high 40 points.

That earned him a spot with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2025-26 season, and he got into 69 games and finished with 12 assists.

Grzelcyk is also a shot-stopping defender, with a career-high 101 blocked shots in his season with the Penguins and six seasons in his career of at least 60 blocks.

He has averaged 18 minutes and 17 seconds of ice time during his career and has 187 total points and a career plus-minus of plus-122. He’s been solid on the power play at times, with 42 of his 161 career assists coming on the man advantage.

Why Did Sabres Sign Matt Grzelcyk?

It’s all about covering for the injuries to Samuelsson and Zellweger. Samuelsson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, and Zellweger is in concussion protocol.

The Sabres were counting on both of those guys to be key contributors in defense for the 2026-27 NHL season, and they still should both have ample time to do so.

But if they aren’t ready for Opening Night, it seems like Grzelcyk will be.