Matt Grzelcyk, set to become a restricted free agent, agrees to two-year deal with Bruins

The Bruins locked up defenseman Matt Grzelcyk Friday and signed him to a two-year deal worth $1.4 million annually. By coming to agreement with the 24-year-old, the Bruins avoided the need to make a qualifying offer as Grzelcyk was set to become a restricted free agent July 1.

He made a base salary of $832,500 last year, which meant the Bruins would have needed to offer $874,125. The deal that the Bruins ultimately came to an agreement on confirms that the organization was encouraged by the way Grzelcyk performed in his rookie season.

The former Boston University standout had three goals and 12 assists in 61 games and came on strong toward the end of the year.

"Kinda one less thing to worry about going into next year and gives me more confidence going into next year so I'm just really excited," Grzelcyk said Monday. "[Getting a new contract] went a lot quicker maybe than expected, and obviously really happy to have more than one year so I'm definitely excited about that."

BSJ Analysis

What the move signals is that the Bruins are committed to Grzelcyk's game despite his small stature. He's 5-foot-9, the same size as Torey Krug, who's proved his worth on he Bruins defense because of his offensive skill.



Coach Bruce Cassidy said at the end of the season that he liked the way Grzelcyk pushed the puck in transition against the Lighting, the Tampa Bay defensemen did well against the Bruins.

A lingering question in the offseason will be if the Bruins want to remain committed to two 5-foot-9 defensemen on the left side of the defense. Krug is still under contract the next two years and the Bruins made sure they did the same with Grzelcyk.

Krug's offensive skill set is hard to match on the blue line and he proved it last season with the fourth-most points on the team. My feeling is that the Bruins will hang onto Krug and I think they'll benefit in the short-term from keeping him around. I don't think the Bruins will meet the demands to swing a deal for Noah Hanifin, who will likely fetch a top-five draft pick, something the Bruins don't have. They don't have a first-round pick as it stands, though Krug could be used to get them one.

Check back for more on that this weekend in the Sunday notes, which go into detail about why the Bruins likely won't be able to contend for Hanifin.