About a week and a half into NHL free agency, it remains unclear if the Bruins will be making any additions to their defense corps.
Torey Krug has gone off to St. Louis. Zdeno Chara is still sitting on the open market. So far Don Sweeney and Co. have not brought in any help from the outside via trade or free agency.
Regardless of what the final product is, one thing has become clear: Matt Grzelcyk is going to have a bigger role next season.
The Bruins signed the 26-year-old Charlestown native to a four-year extension with an annual cap hit of just under $3.7 million on Saturday.
Grzelcyk has excelled in a third-pairing role over his first three seasons, but as the only regular left-side defenseman from last season currently under contract, he will now be tasked with moving into a top-four role, and possibly even a top-pairing role next to Charlie McAvoy.
Speaking to the media via Zoom on Monday, Grzelcyk said he is ready for the challenge of taking his game to the next level, noting that in particular there is room to grow in terms of offensive production after posting a career-high 21 points (4 goals, 17 assists) this past season.
"I think that's up in the air a little bit, for sure," Grzelcyk said of the vacancies on the blue line. "I think my job is just to come in, in as best shape as possible, and I think it's no secret that we want to, and the defense as a whole, add offensively to our games. That's something that I take pride in and I want to come back with maybe a new mindset of wanting to initiate more on the offensive side of the puck.
"I think we're going to need to in order to have success. If you want to take that next step as a team, we're going to need to rely on our D to keep pushing pucks up north and wanting to play offensively. Obviously, there is a little bit of opportunity, but it's up to me to come back a better player and want to take advantage of that."
Grzelcyk will also be one of the leading candidates to replace Krug as the quarterback of the top power-play unit, a position he has filled a few times in recent years when Krug has been out of the lineup. McAvoy could also get a look there, or the Bruins could even try a five-forward unit.
"Obviously, a big challenge. The power play is something that we rely on for a lot of our offense in order to have success throughout the season," Grzelcyk said. "The first unit is quite stacked with offensive talent. I think, obviously, Torey is a really special player. It's not always easy having to go into that position. I think when I've gone in in years past, I was more focused on wanting to be more of a facilitator and get the pucks into those guys' hands.
"I think I do have a lot of area of improvement in that area and I think that comes with confidence and wanting to take that next step as a player. That is something I'm focused on and I think that I can watch more video to know, not only the plays they run, but seeing kind of where the open ice is from a different perspective. I think that hopefully I can apply that to my game and add that going forward."
In case the possibility of having a much bigger role on the ice isn't enough, there will also be an opportunity for Grzelcyk to be more of a leader off the ice, especially if Chara winds up not returning.
Chara has obviously been the leader and captain of the whole team since arriving in Boston in 2006, but Krug had also emerged as a team leader despite not wearing a letter. This past season, coach Bruce Cassidy also said Grzelcyk had stepped up as a leader on his own pairing, playing with younger players like Jeremy Lauzon and Connor Clifton.
Now Grzelcyk, along with McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, may have to step up to be one of the leaders of the whole defense corps and not just his pairing. While Grzelcyk is on the quieter side by nature, he was also a two-year captain at Boston University, so being a leader isn't unfamiliar territory for him.
"I got the opportunity to be captain in college for two years and that was an opportunity that I didn't take too lightly," he said. "I think it's part of my personality, I'm not the most vocal guy, I'm pretty quiet, try to lead more by example. I think that just comes with experience and we have probably some of the best leadership in the NHL already on the team and so many years of experience that I don't have to be the most vocal guy and want to talk up too much.
"I think that does come with confidence and experience through playing a number of years. If there is anything I can add to someone or a younger player who sort of needs advice, I've tried to take on that role more and more each year, especially getting the opportunity to play with guys like Cliffy and Lauzy who are a little younger.
"I think they know if they had sort of any questions or want to pick my brain apart, I always wanted to make sure that I'm available to them because I think that a big reason I'm in the position that I'm in now is because I've had people along the way, guys like Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, especially obviously Torey, the D corps in general, guys like Charlie and Brandon Carlo, obviously Zee, who have been there for me. If there is anyone that sort of needs any sort of advice or wants to talk about certain plays, how I see the ice or how I see certain plays developing, I'm certainly going to make myself available for that opportunity."
