Sabres sign Matt Grzelcyk to one-year deal
A late-preseason signing for a veteran blueliner.
On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres announced that the team has signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year contract. The deal will carry a league-minimum cap hit of $850,000 for the 2026-27 season.
Grzelcyk hasn’t participated in any training camp activity over the past week. He was an unrestricted free agent after his one-year, $1 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks expired this past summer, which he earned after being invited to the team’s cap on a professional tryout. His 2025-26 season ended prematurely, as he was put on the shelf after suffering an undisclosed injury in mid-March.
Yet, with how the Sabres’ blue line is shaping up, it seemed like they needed a little bit more experience on the back end as they look to defend their Atlantic Division title. While they have notable names like Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Conor Timmins ready to start the 2026-27 campaign, Buffalo has been bitten by the injury bug during the preseason. Olen Zellweger is currently in concussion protocol, and Mattias Samuelsson is suffering from a lower-body injury. Louis Crevier, who the team received from the Blackhawks in the Bowen Byram trade, isn’t quite up to speed after undergoing surgery during the offseason.
All that to say, it makes sense to see someone like Grzelcyk land in Buffalo. He might be someone who stars on the third pair, but can be used in a variety of roles until the bigger names get healthy again. He certainly can be a contributor for the retooled Sabres. Just two years ago, he posted 40 points with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last season, with the struggling Hawks, the 32-year-old posted 12 assists in 69 games, a -9 plus/minus, and averaged just under 17 minutes of ice time.
In 596 regular-season games in the NHL, Grzelcyk has scored 26 goals and 161 assists for 187 points, with another 14 points in 66 Stanley Cup Playoff contests with the Boston Bruins.
The Sabres have one more preseason game, coming on Saturday against the Penguins, before opening the regular season on Oct. 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
