The Buffalo Sabres added veteran depth to their defense Friday, signing Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year, $850,000 contract after injuries left the team’s blue line short-handed entering the season.
Grzelcyk provides Buffalo with experience as the Sabres deal with injuries to projected top-four defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger. Samuelsson is expected to miss time with a lower-body injury, while Zellweger suffered a concussion during Buffalo’s preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 32-year-old Grzelcyk brings 445 games of NHL experience with the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. Boston selected him in the third round of the 2012 National Hockey League Draft, and he spent his first eight full seasons with his hometown team.
Grzelcyk played 69 games for Chicago last season, recording 12 assists. He previously spent the 2024-25 season with Pittsburgh, where he established career highs with 40 points and 39 assists while appearing in all 82 games.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.