The New York Rangers have had a busy summer. They have added Vladislav Gavrikov, Taylor Raddysh, and Justin Dowling through free agency. They also traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in one of the biggest trades of the summer.
When looking at the Rangers’ blueline, they could use another left-shot defenseman. The free agent market offers a very interesting one in veteran blueliner Matt Grzelcyk.
It is surprising that Grzelcyk is still available for the taking. He just had a strong season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, setting new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. After a season like this, he would be a solid, low-risk player for the Rangers to bring in.
Matt Grzelcyk Is Best Free Agent Defenseman Left
If the Rangers hope to improve their defensive depth, Grzelcyk should be the blueliner they go after. This is because the Massachusetts native offers a nice blend of experience and offensive production from the point.
In a July article for ESPN, Greg Wyshynski ranked Grzelcyk as the top unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenseman left for the taking.
“There’s always a home for power-play creators in the NHL,” Wyshynski wrote. “Grzelcyk had one goal and 39 assists last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, with 15 of those power-play helpers. It was easily his best NHL season on special teams, getting an opportunity he didn’t always have in Boston.”
With the Rangers needing more offense and overall depth on their left side of their blueline, Grzelcyk would be worth taking a chance on.
Grzelcyk Would Give Rangers’ Blueline Nice Boost
There is no question that Grzelcyk would give the Rangers’ blueline a boost if signed. When looking at their current group, he could be an upgrade over Urho Vaakanainen on their bottom pairing with Braden Schneider. However, it is also fair to argue that he could even make a case to play on the Rangers’ second pairing over Carson Soucy.
Grzelcyk would also give the Rangers another clear option to work with on their power play. With the Rangers having star defenseman Adam Fox, Grzelcyk would likely play on their second power-play unit if brought in, which is in need of a boost.
Grzelcyk Has Connection With Rangers’ New Coach
Another reason why the Rangers should consider signing Grzelcyk is because of his connection with new head coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan coached Grzelcyk on the Penguins this past season, and it’s clear that the left-shot defenseman thrived in his system. Thus, it would make a lot of sense for the Rangers to reunite Grzelcyk and Sullivan.
Sullivan also made it clear last season that he enjoyed coaching Grzelcyk while with the Penguins.
“One of the things that attracted us to Grz was his puck-moving ability. He passes the puck extremely well,” Sullivan said. “He has the ability to get back to pucks, helps us on the breakout. He can change the point of attack on the offensive blue line. He plays on one of our power plays. Distributes it pretty well when he’s on the power play. I think that’s Grz’s biggest strength. That was an area where we felt like some help. He’s certainly helped us in that regard.”
Clearly, Sullivan was impressed with Grzelcyk’s play last season. With the Rangers needing another puck-moving defenseman, bringing in Grzelcyk on a cheap one-year deal would make all the sense in the world.
Rangers Must Sign Best Free Agent Defender Now