Matt Grzelcyk has had a string of bad luck this season when it comes to injuries, but he's been a solid puck-moving defenseman for the Boston Bruins.
Especially with injuries impacting the lineup as the Bruins are playing without Jeremy Lauzon (hand), Brandon Carlo (upper-body) and Kevan Miller (knee) -- three big bodies -- for an unknown amount of time.
It's prompted Grzelcyk to see time on the top power-play unit of late, something head coach Bruce Cassidy said he's done with David Krejci this year, too. As Cassidy explained, it helps both players get reps and "get a better feel for their game."
It's been part of Grzelcyk's value to the team this season.
"He's a good puck mover, and makes plays and likes to distribute first," Cassidy said of Grzelcyk after Boston's 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Islanders.
"And that's the ask up there -- certainly gotta shoot it when it's your turn. And getting him some touches and reps is very important for us right now. ... It's a little bit of allowing those guys to get a better feel for their game and trust them to get the job done on it, and they're starting to. So that's good, maybe it'll translate to the 5-on-5 game. I think it did with Grizz tonight and Krech, they're moving, making plays, feeling a little better about it."
Grzelcyk has been known for his puck movement, which certainly was missed while he was out for a few games during Boston's 2019 Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. And Cassidy knows they have a "valuable guy" in the 27-year-old.
"Grizz, we need him to be that guy. We are down some puck movers there. We went into the year with some newness back there. We need him to be a good puck mover, let's put it that way," Cassidy said. "The Lauzons and the Carlos are going to go in to defend, and he needs to be part of that offense, and Charlie (McAvoy), right now we have them playing together, we'll see how that plays out going forward. But we need Grizz to be that guy, to be that transition guy, some easy access to the other teams end for the forwards.
"We're having trouble scoring goals now, that goes without saying, and some of that falls on the forwards abilities to get inside and make plays themselves," Cassidy added. "But, most good offensive teams have D that can initiate the breakout and initiate some transition ... It just makes it easier for everybody, and Grizz is a valuable guy when it comes to that."
It certainly will be beneficial to the Bruins to have more puck movement in order to create more scoring opportunities, and it appears Grzelcyk will get the chance to do so as the season goes on.
