Maple Leafs May Have Just Found the Power-Play Blueliner They Desperately Need
Photo credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
With Toronto still searching for that power play quarterback to help out, they may have found one on the free agent market, that being Matt Grzelcyk.
There's been a litany of discussion around Morgan Rielly's fit with the Maple Leafs on their power play given that he seems to be a step or two behind when it comes to facilitating the offense.
Going from nearly 19 points on average for the team on the power play over the last three seasons, to only 13 this season; it was a genuine surprise to see him be so far behind at times.
Need help on your power play? Call Matt Grzelcyk
Brad Treliving mentioned adding more offense to his blue line and though they couldn't add a name like Aaron Ekblad, they can look to a much cheaper player on the market: Matt Grzelcyk.
Still unsigned, the former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman makes perfect sense for the Maple Leafs given his tenacity, competitive nature and excellent ability to drive the power play.
He's a bit smaller than you typically see for a Brad Treliving signing, but what he makes up for in size he has in heart.
According to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, Grzelcyk might have fallen out of favor with the Penguins due to them heading in a different direction with their signings:
Originally a Bruin, Grzelcyk played all 82 games for the Penguins this past season and told reporters that he was hoping to ink an extension in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins, however, signed defencemen Parker Wotherspoon and Caleb Jones to two-year deals on July 1 and are going in a different direction.
The left-shot, undersized Grzelcyk (five-foot-10, 180 pounds) notched a career-best 40 points in 2024-25 and boasts 527 games of experience, plus another 66 in the playoffs.
The Penguins, however, signed defencemen Parker Wotherspoon and Caleb Jones to two-year deals on July 1 and are going in a different direction.
The left-shot, undersized Grzelcyk (five-foot-10, 180 pounds) notched a career-best 40 points in 2024-25 and boasts 527 games of experience, plus another 66 in the playoffs.
He was also subject to trade rumors earlier in the season, even though he wanted to stick around, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Matt Vensel:
Grzelcyk said it's his preference to remain with the Penguins. There have been no talks with them about an extension, he said, but he would be receptive to that.
Conversely, the defenseman said being in trade speculation is not the worst thing because that means he is playing well enough to be coveted by other teams.
Conversely, the defenseman said being in trade speculation is not the worst thing because that means he is playing well enough to be coveted by other teams.
It's shocking then he hasn't been signed given that he had a solid season with the Penguins, and Toronto needs to be all over him.
Matt Grzelcyk a great, cheap, powerplay quarterback
No, he's not going to step in and take over for Morgan Rielly, but he'd be better suited to run the power play's 2nd unit over Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Yes, OEL is a legend, but he's also 34 and not the same game-changer he used to be.
Looking at what Toronto might do with their power play, if they shift to a traditional route, they can have Grzelcyk run the show alongside someone like Jake McCabe or even OEL for a double offensive punch.
Here's how a potential PP2 could look like with Grzelcyk:
McMann - Roy - Domi
Grzelcyk - Ekman-Larsson
That gives the team a scrappy, forechecking line up front and allows Grzelcyk to work with Roy to facilitate the playmaking; plus you'll have Domi and McMann relentlessly hunting the defense.
Plus, you've still got OEL with his grit and experience to help guide Grzelcyk and cover for him if something goes wrong, and Roy is good enough to transition out of his own zone to get back to offense.
Grzelcyk, 31, had 40 points in 82 games with the Penguins (1 goal, 39 assists) with 15 of those points coming on the man advantage.
If Toronto wants to change their DNA on the cheap and stay true to their word they want to add more offense to the blueline, then Matt Grzelcyk is a great option.
Plus, it's a much cheaper option than Erik Karlsson.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 23 | 1690 ANSWERS Maple Leafs May Have Just Found the Power-Play Blueliner They Desperately Need Do you think Toronto should sign Matt Grzelcyk this summer? | ||
| Yes | 709 | 42 % |
| No | 981 | 58 % |
| List of polls | ||
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