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Matt Grzelcyk

#24 · Defence · Buffalo Sabres

Born Jan 5, 1994 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA (age 32) · 5'10", 180 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 85th overall in 2012 by BOS (round 3)

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2023-24. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Jon Merrill MIN · 11 P in 65 GP Pierre-Olivier Joseph PIT · 11 P in 52 GP Henry Thrun SJS · 11 P in 51 GP Ian Cole VAN · 11 P in 78 GP Vincent Desharnais EDM · 11 P in 78 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030402016-17: 0 points016-172017-18: 15 points1517-182018-19: 18 points1818-192019-20: 21 points2119-202020-21: 20 points2020-212021-22: 24 points2421-222022-23: 26 points2622-232023-24: 11 points1123-242024-25: 40 points4024-252025-26: 12 points1225-262026-27: 0 points026-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2016-17 BOS 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0.00 $859K
2017-18 BOS 61 3 12 15 21 22 82 45 0.25 $859K
2018-19 BOS 66 3 15 18 9 68 90 46 0.27 $1.4M
2019-20 BOS 68 4 17 21 15 34 112 56 0.31 $1.4M
2020-21 BOS 37 5 15 20 11 22 80 19 0.54 $3.688M
2021-22 BOS 73 4 20 24 22 24 118 40 0.33 $3.688M
2022-23 BOS 75 4 22 26 46 28 102 51 0.35 $3.688M
2023-24 BOS 63 2 9 11 13 37 59 53 0.17 $3.688M
2024-25 PIT 82 1 39 40 -6 16 94 43 0.49 $2.75M
2025-26 CHI 69 0 12 12 -9 32 68 28 0.17 $1M
2026-27 BUF 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0.00 $850K
11 seasons Career 597 26 161 187 121 285 809 381 0.31

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2017-18 BOS 11 0 1 1 -2 4 8 12 0.09
2018-19 BOS 20 4 4 8 -3 6 35 18 0.40
2019-20 BOS 10 0 1 1 -4 4 9 16 0.10
2020-21 BOS 11 1 3 4 -2 4 16 5 0.36
2021-22 BOS 5 0 0 0 -6 6 3 3 0.00
2022-23 BOS 4 0 0 0 -1 0 6 3 0.00
2023-24 BOS 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 0.00
7 seasons Playoffs 64 5 9 14 -18 26 80 64 0.22

2023-24 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
63 2 9 11 13 37 59 53 0.17 3.4 17:36

Contract

$3.688MCap hitends in 2024, then UFA
$335KCap dollars per point11 points in 63 games
-$2MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$5.7MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. He rated at or below a spare-part player, so there is no cost per goal to show. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 718 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Boston Bruins on Oct 17, 2020, as a new contract: 4 years and $14.75M, beginning in 2020-21. It runs through 2023-24, so this is its last season, after which he is an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2020-21 $3.688M $2.25M $0 $2.25M
2021-22 $3.688M $4M $0 $4M
2022-23 $3.688M $4.25M $0 $4.25M
2023-24 $3.688M $4.25M $0 $4.25M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Sep 25, 2026 Buffalo Sabres New contract 2026-27 to 2026-27 1 $850K $850K
Oct 5, 2025 Chicago Blackhawks New contract 2025-26 to 2025-26 1 $1M $1M
Jul 1, 2024 Pittsburgh Penguins New contract 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $2.75M $2.75M
Oct 17, 2020 Boston Bruins New contract 2020-21 to 2023-24 4 $14.75M $3.688M
Jun 15, 2018 Boston Bruins Extension 2018-19 to 2019-20 2 $2.8M $1.4M
Apr 1, 2016 Boston Bruins Entry-level 2016-17 to 2017-18 2 $1.85M $859K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2023-24 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2023-24 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.2Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
0.0Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence-0.3Even-strength defence+0.5Power play0.0Penalty kill0.0Penalties-0.2

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on.

-505102016-172018-192020-212022-232024-252026-27Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

42.3Corsi for %41 attempts for, 56 against
-1.9CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
45.6Expected goals for %1.4 expected for, 1.6 against
+2.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
45.5Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
50.0Goals for %1 for, 1 against
101.4PDO5.6% shooting + 95.8% saves
5Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

These are left plain: he has not been on the ice enough to be ranked. That takes at least 200 shot attempts with him out there, about six or seven games, and a quarter of what the busiest skater has. Over a game or two these numbers are mostly chance.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Matt Grzelcyk · Charlie McAvoy333:3541.439.40-1
Matt Grzelcyk · Brandon Carlo36:2180.088.10-0
Matt Grzelcyk · Parker Wotherspoon14:0171.497.81-0
Hampus Lindholm · Matt Grzelcyk22:520.00.00-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net.

0Goalsnot counting empty-netters
0.1Expected goalsfrom 5 unblocked attempts
-0.1Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.14 expected goals per 60 minutes38th
Shot quality 2.6% chance per attempt29th
Finishing -0.1 goals above expected50thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 48 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.20.40.60.81Expected 0.1Goals 0

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 16, 2024 vs OTT L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 18:39
Apr 13, 2024 @ PIT W 6-4 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 17:27
Apr 9, 2024 vs CAR L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 17:22
Apr 6, 2024 vs FLA W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 17:08
Apr 4, 2024 @ CAR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:26
Mar 30, 2024 @ WSH W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:46
Mar 27, 2024 @ TBL L 1-3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 19:42
Mar 26, 2024 @ FLA W 4-3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 17:39
Mar 23, 2024 @ PHI L 2-3 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 20:01
Mar 21, 2024 vs NYR L 2-5 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 17:47
Mar 19, 2024 vs OTT W 6-2 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 20:02
Mar 16, 2024 vs PHI W 6-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 16:56
Mar 11, 2024 vs STL L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:14
Mar 9, 2024 vs PIT W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:31
Mar 7, 2024 vs TOR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 16:57
Mar 5, 2024 vs EDM L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:30
Mar 4, 2024 @ TOR W 4-1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 20:48
Feb 29, 2024 vs VGK W 5-4 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 18:41
Feb 26, 2024 @ SEA L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 21:10
Feb 24, 2024 @ VAN L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:39
Feb 21, 2024 @ EDM W 6-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00:35
Feb 19, 2024 vs DAL W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 21:25
Feb 17, 2024 vs LAK L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 20:47
Feb 15, 2024 vs SEA L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 18:06
Feb 13, 2024 vs TBL L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 17:01
Feb 10, 2024 vs WSH L 0-3 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 05:00
Feb 8, 2024 vs VAN W 4-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 18:44
Feb 6, 2024 vs CGY L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 3 1 18:22
Jan 27, 2024 @ PHI W 6-2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 17:22
Jan 25, 2024 @ OTT W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 17:21
Jan 24, 2024 vs CAR L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18:36
Jan 22, 2024 vs WPG W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15:49
Jan 20, 2024 vs MTL W 9-4 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 17:53
Jan 18, 2024 vs COL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19:03
Jan 15, 2024 vs NJD W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 19:18
Jan 13, 2024 @ STL W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 21:11
Jan 11, 2024 @ VGK L 1-2 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 2 1 17:32
Jan 9, 2024 @ ARI L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 17:53
Jan 8, 2024 @ COL L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 21:08
Jan 6, 2024 vs TBL W 7-3 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 18:10
Jan 4, 2024 vs PIT L 5-6 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 20:52
Jan 2, 2024 @ CBJ W 4-1 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 19:19
Dec 30, 2023 vs NJD W 5-2 0 1 1 1 0 4 0 18:20
Dec 19, 2023 vs MIN L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 0 2 13:35
Dec 16, 2023 vs NYR L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 21:55
Dec 15, 2023 @ NYI W 5-4 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 22:36
Dec 13, 2023 @ NJD L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 21:03
Dec 9, 2023 vs ARI W 5-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 19:02
Dec 7, 2023 vs BUF L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 19:29
Dec 3, 2023 vs CBJ W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 15:45
Dec 2, 2023 @ TOR W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 18:23
Nov 30, 2023 vs SJS W 3-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 15:38
Nov 27, 2023 @ CBJ L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 17:56
Nov 25, 2023 @ NYR L 4-7 0 0 0 -2 2 1 0 18:48
Oct 30, 2023 vs FLA W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 03:29
Oct 28, 2023 vs DET W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 16:17
Oct 26, 2023 vs ANA L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 16:05
Oct 24, 2023 @ CHI W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 16:09
Oct 22, 2023 @ ANA W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:08
Oct 21, 2023 @ LAK W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 17:24
Oct 19, 2023 @ SJS W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 18:43
Oct 14, 2023 vs NSH W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15:00
Oct 11, 2023 vs CHI W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 18:02