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Pending Penguins Free Agent Expected to Get Over $10 Million on the Open Market
Photo credit: Edit from Tribune-Review
It appears that once Penguins' Matt Grzelcyk tests the open market in free agency, he will be in high demand and could fetch over $10 million on his next contract.
The Penguins signed Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $2.75 million contract last summer, a standard "prove-it" deal. The plan was easy: he'd prove himself and get traded at the deadline for assets in the future.
That trade never occurred, however, and Grzelcyk played out his season in Pittsburgh.
Now that free agency is on the horizon, Grzelcyk is reported to be looking for a multi-year deal. A current 'DailyFaceoff' estimate suggests he could sign a three-year, $3.8 million per annum deal on the free market.
Grzelcyk did post a respectable 40 points in 82 games, spurred mostly by his work manning the Penguins' second power play. Offensively, he was a presence when the unit was clicking, but not so much otherwise.
Defensively, he struggled, often being outrun by quicker foes and wearing out visibly as the season wore on.
The Penguins cannot afford to tie up money on Grzelcyk, and need to move on
If this is the kind of money Grzelcyk is looking for, the Penguins need to cut bait. Holding onto him would only deprive talented young blue-liners Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke of crucial minutes in the NHL.
The Penguins need to start transitioning to a younger core. Grzelcyk's goal scoring is fine, but his upside and the cost aren't in the direction that Pittsburgh is headed.
Let an already-playoff team that has a better path for him, like the Avalanche or Kings, cover his contract demands. The Penguins need to move away from veteran mode and make room for their young defensemen to grow.
| POLL | ||
MAI 14 | 118 ANSWERS Pending Penguins Free Agent Expected to Get Over $10 Million on the Open Market Should the Penguins try to keepo Matt Grzelcyk? | ||
| Yes | 63 | 53.4 % |
| No | 55 | 46.6 % |
| List of polls | ||