Recent Penguin Matt Grzelcyk Signs New Contract With Pittsburgh Rival

Overall, the 2024/25 campaign was a tough one for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but despite missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season, there were many bright spots throughout.

One of those was of course Sidney Crosby, and one of the other's was a surprise campaign from veteran Matt Grzelcyk, who played in all 82 games for the first time in his career, coming away with a career high in points.

In that time, the 31-year old had one goal and 40 points, and after getting little interest on the free agency market, he's now finally signed a new deal, inking a professional tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks, according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman.

However, earning a full time deal in Chicago won't be easy, as this is a team that is full of talented young defenseman, and with the team still looking to push their young core forward, Grzelcyk would need to have a massive camp to push one of them out of a spot in 2025/26.

At 31-years of age, Grzelcyk has likely found his role in the NHL, and that is as a depth defender that can gradually accumulate points and play a smaller role for a team, and while that won't get him a long-term deal, it should have plenty of teams interested.

If he can't find a full-time role in Chicago, Grzelcyk is likely to gain interest elsewhere, as he was more than solid for Pittsburgh last season, but as of right now, his focus will be on stealing a roster spot from a young Blackhawk as he looks to build on a career campaign in 2024/25.