The Sabres signed Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract Friday, handing the veteran defenseman his fourth NHL team in four seasons.
That's $150,000 less than the $1,000,000 cap hit he carried last season.
The Bruins drafted him 85th overall in 2012. He went from Boston to Pittsburgh to Chicago before this latest stop in Buffalo.
Last season with the Blackhawks was quiet. He posted 12 assists in 69 games and was held without a goal.
He also finished at minus-9, his worst rating career-wise.
The year before looked a lot different. He put up 40 points over 82 games with the Penguins.
So which version is Buffalo actually getting?
-
Sabres strengthen blue line with Matt Grzelcyk signing
At this price, the risk is close to nothing. The Sabres aren't committed past this season, and a one-year deal can leave the books as quickly as it arrived.
The big money on that blue line belongs to Rasmus Dahlin at $11,000,000. Only Erik Karlsson carries a bigger cap hit among NHL defensemen.
This is a smart signing. The Sabres could use another defenseman who moves the puck, and landing one for under a million dollars is how you build depth without hurting the cap.
He also brings 66 playoff games, all of them from his years in Boston.
Career-wise, he's up to 187 points across 596 regular-season games.
Signing a veteran like this is like buying a spare tire. Nobody gets excited about it, but you're thrilled it's there the first time something goes flat.
The Sabres dropped a 3-2 overtime decision in Detroit last night and sit at 1-1-1 this preseason.
Dahlin didn't dress for that one. Zach Metsa led Buffalo's defensemen with 23:17 of ice time, with Dennis Gilbert right behind him at 21:55.
The Sabres host Pittsburgh on Saturday, one of Grzelcyk's old teams, then open the regular season October 1 in Columbus.
The signing also turns up the heat on whoever was penciled into the last spot on that blue line. Jarmo Kekalainen just gave Ruff one more option to choose from.
Is Matt Grzelcyk worth a roster spot on the Sabres blue line after a minus-9 season in Chicago?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Blockbuster three-team proposal shakes up Canucks, Hurricanes and Mammoth
