Alex Vlasic was praising Blackhawks veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk’s dependability last week in Toronto when he spotted the man himself walking into earshot.
“I don’t want to pump his tires too much,” Vlasic said with a smile. “He’s been a great guy in the locker room, but on the ice, he’s been just so steady back there for us.”
That word — “steady” — comes up often when people describe Grzelcyk.
It is remarkable how reliable he has been for a 31-year-old journeyman who didn’t receive a contract until three days before the season opener — after battling for a roster spot on a training-camp tryout agreement.
“We’re very fortunate that he wasn’t signed at that point,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think there would be teams right now that would like to have him, so we’re fortunate that we got him. His play has been a big boost to us.
“But also, with very young ‘D’ corps, he’s a guy who’s really calm, and that just helps our group. There’s less highs and lows with him. With a group that tends to have highs and lows, it’s nice to have somebody back there that’s pretty steady.”
Lows have been frequent lately, both in terms of injury news and win/loss results. The Hawks have fallen into last place in the NHL standings with 32 points through 35 games, even though they’re six points ahead of their pace last season. The league’s worst teams simply aren’t as bad as they used to be.
This downturn hasn’t diminished Grzelcyk’s appreciation and enjoyment of this opportunity, however.
“I can’t thank the management and coaches enough for just allowing me to even come to camp and buy myself two weeks to figure it out,” Grzelcyk said. “I’m really glad it worked out all right. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t want to be here in the first place.”
If not for Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski’s subpar camp performances, the Hawks might not have even signed Grzelcyk. Now, even with Del Mastro back in the NHL, Grzelcyk has become an unexpectedly key component of their by-committee defense.
During the last six games (since the Hawks sent down Sam Rinzel and returned to traditional six-defenseman lineups), Grzelcyk has averaged 20:26 of ice time, second-most on the team behind only Artyom Levshunov.
Last season, Grzelcyk racked up 39 assists while quarterbacking the Penguins’ top power-play unit, and the Hawks have recently tried him out on their power play, as well. His production this season — zero goals and six assists — doesn’t stand out, but Blashill has been satisfied.
“He’s played with his brain for a long time,” Blashill said. “He does a really good job on the power play of making the right play at the right time, not trying to force something that’s not there. But [he] also has the ability to make the high-end play when needed.”
Grzelcyk uses his brain off the ice, too, so he was fully aware upon signing that this Hawks season might feature more youth development than winning. He has relished his job mentoring some youngsters.
“They’ve got their goofy personalities, and they keep me young,” Grzelcyk said. “But I think they’re really mature for their age. … You just try to, mid-game, talk to some guys on the bench: ‘Hey, this is what I’m seeing. I’ve gone through this experience before myself.'”
He has been particularly impressed by 20-year-old Levshunov, his regular partner during these last six games, and his determination and eagerness.
“I can’t imagine barely knowing English and having to digest all [of this] on the fly, but he’s gotten a good start,” Grzelcyk said. “It’s fun to see he wants to learn, he wants to get better and he wants to start communicating more. That’s awesome to have the confidence to ask for that.”