Matt Grzelcyk should be an option for the Detroit Red Wings.
The Wings are still in need of a left-handed defenseman and Grzelcyk is coming off career highs in both assists (39) and points (40) in 82 games.
Why is Matt Grzelcyk still unsigned?
It remains unclear why Grzelcyk is still without a contract, though one can engage in informed speculation. History suggests that when a player enters a contract year and delivers the finest season of his career, it often reshapes his self-perception—particularly if he has not previously commanded top-tier compensation.
The result is a belief that his market value exceeds its true level, a mindset that can complicate negotiations and cause teams to not sign you at all. That may not be the case with Grzelcyk, but we’ve seen it happen before. In fact, it happened very recently with Joel Kiviranta of the Colorado Avalanche.
He entered free agency at the end of last season after coming off a career-high 16 goals and seven assists for 23 points. No one took the bait and instead of holding out, Kiviranta agreed to return to Colorado on a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
The Red Wings currently possess $12 million in available cap space, giving them the financial latitude to accommodate virtually any figure Grzelcyk might seek. The more pertinent questions, however, are twofold: what valuation does Grzelcyk himself place on his services, and does Detroit, despite its flexibility, regard him as a viable target within its broader roster strategy?
The Penguins are playing hard ball
The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves at a crossroads. In order to accelerate a long-overdue rebuild, they must shed assets sooner rather than later. Yet Kyle Dubas, serving as both general manager and president of hockey operations, has adopted a hardline negotiating posture that, to date, has yielded limited return.
Detroit, for its part, would undoubtedly welcome the opportunity to acquire a proven contributor such as Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell. Still, the Red Wings have invested years of deliberate work in constructing a foundation rooted in draft capital and a robust prospect pipeline.
Dubas has let the league know unequivocally that either player will command a steep price. Should that remain his stance, the Red Wings may be compelled to pivot toward an alternative such as Grzelcyk—a move that, while less costly in theory, is likely to carry its own premium given the circumstances surrounding his most recent campaign.
The Penguins are likewise exploring ways to move on from former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, yet the fit in Detroit appears tenuous at best. While nominally a defenseman, Karlsson’s game is predicated on offensive dynamism rather than the kind of defensive stability the Red Wings need.
Detroit’s vulnerabilities lie not in generating goals but in suppressing them—particularly in shoring up their penalty kill and reducing costly turnovers. Karlsson, despite his pedigree, would do little to address those structural deficiencies.
Complicating matters further, his contract remains onerous: two years at an $11.5 million cap hit. Given the likelihood that Dubas would play hard ball again and refuse to retain a good chunk of salary in trade discussions, it is unlikely that Steve Yzerman would find any deal suitable for the Wings to take.
It’s a game of chicken that we just don’t have time for. Realistically, our options are limited.