Matt Grzelcyk Rumors: Analyzing Two Potential Landing Spots for the Top Free Agent Defenseman

0 Sara Smith August 12, 2025

As the summer weeks wind down, the NHL free agent market has one glaring name still available: Matt Grzelcyk. It’s honestly a bit of a shocker. We’re talking about a premier puck-moving, top-four defenseman who put up 40 points last season. In today’s NHL, players with his skillset are gold. Yet, here we are. GMs are clearly playing a high-stakes game of chicken, waiting for his price to drop.

But make no mistake, Grzelcyk will be quarterbacking a power play for a contender by the time puck drops on the new season. From where I’m sitting, two very different, but equally intriguing, teams keep popping up in conversations. One is flush with cash and looking to make a splash, while the other is a cap-strapped contender that might need to get creative.

Where Will Matt Grzelcyk Sign?

The Dark Horse: Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a fascinating case. With a war chest of over $15 million in cap space, they are one of the few teams that could simply table an offer Grzelcyk can’t ignore. They’re in a strange position—not quite rebuilding, but not a lock for the playoffs either. Adding Grzelcyk would be a clear statement of intent. He would instantly slot into their top-four, likely pairing with MacKenzie Weegar and providing a veteran presence to stabilize a defense corps in transition.

Rumors about a potential Rasmus Andersson trade refuse to die down, and bringing in a player of Grzelcyk’s caliber would certainly give GM Craig Conroy the flexibility to make such a move without gutting his blue line. It’s a bold play, but one that could pay huge dividends.

The Creative Play: Toronto Maple Leafs

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have virtually no cap space to work with, but that has never stopped Brad Treliving from exploring every possible avenue to improve his roster. The chatter around the league is that the Leafs could extend a professional tryout (PTO) to Grzelcyk. This is a brilliant, low-risk, high-reward move.

Grzelcyk, a proven power-play specialist, could be the missing piece for their top unit. He’s logged tough minutes against top competition for years with the Bruins and Penguins. Bringing him into training camp allows Toronto to see how he fits and forces other players to earn their spots. If he impresses, it almost certainly means another move is coming. A name like Morgan Rielly has been floated in trade rumors, and adding a cost-effective defenseman like Grzelcyk would make it easier to pull the trigger on a larger deal to reshape their defensive identity.