Three Landing Spots for Top Free Agent Defenseman

The Pittsburgh Penguins received an unexpectedly excellent season from defenseman Matt Grzelcyk last year. The 31-year-old puck-mover posted a career-best 40 points in 82 games, yet he remains unsigned after the initial wave of free agency. Arguably the top defenseman on the market, there should be plenty of teams eager for his services.

The offseason may have gone quiet, but three possible landing spots make sense for Grzelcyk.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche makes a ton of sense as a landing spot for Grzelcyk. The top two left-side defenders are locked in with Devon Toews and Sam Girard under contract in Colorado, but the third pairing could be up for grabs. They also have over $4 million in salary cap space right now, making them a great fit roster-wise and financially. He's played exclusively in the Eastern Conference over his career, but Colorado may be too good an opportunity to be a regular NHL player in 2025-26.

Florida Panthers

The defending champions already brought in one veteran on a cheap, one-year deal. They may be forced to repeat this move with Grzelcyk if they deal away one of their rostered left-handed defenders. The team is currently over the salary cap, but Grzelcyk wouldn't be an expensive signing.

Grzelcyk would fit ideally on the bottom pair and second power play in Florida. He can jump up in the lineup when needed, but when properly placed, he can anchor a competitive team's bottom pairing with ease. The Panthers are going to be frugal and economical this upcoming season, making them an unlikely, but exciting option to sign Grzelcyk.

New York Islanders

The Islanders have an incredibly exciting left-handed defenseman prospect named Matthew Schaefer, and he projects to be the anchor of their blue line for the next decade plus. For the upcoming season, however, there is a chance that Schaefer returns to junior hockey and delays his NHL debut. That would leave the Islanders with a hole on the left side of their defensive group.

Grzelcyk would give the team an interim solution to fill out the roster. He could play on the power play and give the Islanders between 15 and 18 minutes per game of solid hockey. The move would also keep him in the northeastern section of the United States and in the Eastern Conference where Grzelcyk is seemingly most comfortable.