Boston Bruins: Matt Grzelcyk earned his keep in 2018
By Sam Minton
In his first season with the Boston Bruins, Matt Grzelcyk earned his spot on the B’s roster.
Matt Grzelcyk is a fan favorite for obvious reasons. He is a Boston guy through and through. He was born in Charlestown, and he went to school at Boston University. Grzelcyk had connections to the Boston Bruins before he even stepped on the ice. His father John is a veteran member of the TD Garden bull gang. After Grzelcyk’s performance in 2018 he won’t be leaving Boston anytime soon.
Grzelcyk is similar to Torey Krug. He is a small puck moving defenseman who is dangerous in the offensive zone. In 2018 he had 3 goals and 12 assists. Grzelcyk had his struggles in the Bruins zone. He made some rookie mistakes that led to some goals, but that can be expected with a rookie defenseman.
Grzelcyk became good friends with his d-partner Kevan Miller. Miller was the watchful eye that helped out the rookie.
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"“He’s just really responsible,” Grzelcyk said of his on-ice bodyguard. “I know that if I’m trying to use my feet to close off plays, Kevan’s always there to back me up. I try to do the same for him. He’s a very defensively responsible defenseman. He skates very well, too. That’s something he’s done very well this year. I’m just trying to follow his lead.”"
The future of the Bruins
Grzelcyk is a restricted free agent and I would expect him to come back. Why would he want to leave? Grzelcyk is apart of the Bruins future. With his play last season he earned his roster spot. He won’t have to worry about getting sent down. The last defensive spot will be a battle between Adam McQuaid and Miller.
Next season I hope that Grzelcyk can limit the mistakes in his own zone. In the playoffs we saw Grzelcyk roll out a red carpet to the net by misplaying a puck. In the offensive zone Grzelcyk proved that he has a great shot and can find the open man. Hopefully he will boost his numbers in his second season.
Next: Sean Kuraly was a firecracker on the 4th line in 2018
The Boston boy has made his mark. Hopefully he will be even better next season.