Underrated Defenseman Finds PTO With Blackhawks, Leafs Miss Their Chance
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to sign defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a PTO as the Maple Leafs lose out yet again.
With training camp opening up on Wednesday for the Maple Leafs, there is minimal time for them to get their ducks in a row before they have to get to work ahead of the 2025-26 season.
That means that if they wanted to make any last minute moves, they should look to do so soon, and with help needed on the back end for another puck mover, they were in discussions previously with free agent defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and looked to be close to a deal.
Why Matt Grzelcyk's PTO With Chicago Caught Attention Around the League
However according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, he's no longer available.
On Tuesday morning Friedman revealed that Grzelcyk would be signing a PTO agreement with the Chicago Blackhawks, a bit of a surprise given his production last season.
Even the signing caught Friedman by surprise, and while there are potentially reasons for teams to move past Grzelcyk, there's no doubt that he can make an impact.
Last season Grzelcyk posted 40 points (1 goal, 39 assists) and was a very good power play producer for the Penguins with 15 of his assists on the man advantage.
it just goes to show how tough the free agent market has been and how teams. are exercising extreme caution when it comes to bringing in names on contracts without getting an idea of what they can offer first; money is seemingly tight everywhere.
Missed Opportunities Could Come Back to Haunt the Maple Leafs
But even for a team like the Maple Leafs, they still have to figure out something. While they have added a good amount of depth and could still find ways for a trade to happen though that seems even less likely than a signing.
This is one of several PTO signings that Toronto has missed out on including Noah Gregor, Erik Johnson, Brett Leason and Kevin Labanc among others; while none of these names jump off the page, there was still something to offer depending on what the Leafs were looking for.
The Grzelcyk signing might end up being the worst of all considering he would have been a very cheap and reliable option on the back end and could have helped push Oliver Ekman-Larsson onto his proper side, and have Simon Benoit and OEL swap back and forth with Grzelcyk.
Toronto is often the bridesmaid and hardly the bride when it comes to these types of deals and frequently we see these players come in and storm the gates while the Leafs observe from a distance.
It's time for Brad Treliving to do something. Jack Roslovic is still available, and there's a trade to be had somewhere.
Time is ticking.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 16 | 944 ANSWERS Underrated Defenseman Finds PTO With Blackhawks, Leafs Miss Their Chance Is Toronto going to sign a player before the season starts? | ||
| Yes | 451 | 47.8 % |
| No | 493 | 52.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
