Tampa Bay Lightning Trade Deadline Target: Matt Grzelcyk – The Hockey Writers Tampa Bay Lightning Latest News, Analysis & More

With the 2025 Trade Deadline approaching, the Tampa Bay Lightning are shaping up to be buyers again. They have been one of the busiest teams at the trade deadline over the past few seasons, for example trading for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow during their Stanley Cup runs. However, the Lightning have recently moved away from pure rentals as well when they acquired long-term pieces like Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul at past deadlines. This season, the Lightning could take interest in defenseman Matt Grzelcyk of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Would he be a good fit and at what cost?

Related: Lightning Win 4-3 to Snap Senators’ 5-Game Win Streak

Disclaimer: The players featured in these articles aren’t always linked to the Lightning but have been made available in some capacity this season. These articles consider whether Tampa Bay should target them and at what cost.

Matt Grzelcyk’s Background

Matt Grzelcyk spent four years at Boston University from 2013-16, where he captained the Terriers his junior and senior seasons. Following his college hockey career, Grzelcyk spent one season with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League before becoming a full-time member of the Boston Bruins in 2017-18.

A 2012 third-round pick of the Bruins, the Massachusetts native spent his entire career with his hometown team before signing a one-year deal with the Penguins last summer summer and has already set a career-high in points with the Penguins this season. His one goal and 26 assists in 55 games top his 26 points in 75 games with the Bruins back in 2022-23. Now 31 years old and on an expiring deal at a cap hit of $2.75 million, the Lightning have emerged as a favorite to land Grzelcyk at the deadline.

Ferraro Scouting Report

Unlike the Lightning’s other trade target, Mario Ferraro, Grzelcyk plays an offensive style that might suit Tampa Bay better than Ferraro’s stay-at-home approach. However, like Ferraro, Grzelcyk has seen better days with underlying numbers and analytics. Being paired with Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Pittsburgh’s top forward line will help you shatter career point records when you’re used to sheltered minutes on a stacked Boston back end.

Grzelcyk is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman according to All Three Zones’ historic track record and player cards. This defensemen archetype is evolving the NHL and there’s no doubt Grzelcyk could provide a solid secondary wave of offense. With that, why would the Lightning be interested in his services?

Grzelcyk’s Strengths

One of Grzelcyk’s best assets is his affordable cap hit. Furthermore, his ability to play in transition, like setting up an exit with possession or joining the attack off the rush, is valuable. He’s a good left-handed option for the second power-play unit as well. After all, Grzelcyk is a career plus-123 despite being a minus-14 this season. In other words, he can be a positive purchase for Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh appears to expose his poor defensive play.

Grzelcyk’s Weaknesses

Grzelcyk’s offensive-minded approach leaves room for improvement in the defensive end. Boston’s defensive structure and stacked blue line didn’t expose this weakness like Karlsson and the Penguins have this season. Grzelcyk is having his worst season in on-ice goal share (GF%) and expected goal share (xGF%) in his career. He’s been outscored 34-45 and controls just 47.27% of the expected goal share at five-on-five, asa per Natural Stat Trick.

What It Would (Likely) Take To Acquire Grzelcyk

Today, general manager Julien BriseBois has $3.21 million in cap space to work with at the trade deadline. One player with comparable value to Grzelcyk who got traded at previous deadlines include Shayne Gostisbehere, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Shayne Gostisbehere from the Arizona Coyotes at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. An offensive defenseman with 31 points in 52 games before the trade, Gostisbehere is a solid comparison for a potential Grzelcyk deal.

Another player, Brandon Montour, was acquired by the Florida Panthers from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2021 third-round pick. Again, Montour was a decent offensive defenseman in the range of 0.35-0.5 points per game. Keep in mind, this was before Montour developed into a star with the Panthers, won the Stanley Cup, and signed long-term with the Seattle Kraken. With that, here’s a realistic trade scenario for Grzelcyk.

Tampa Bay acquires: Matt Grzelcyk (D)

Pittsburgh acquires: 2026 third-round pick

How Both Sides Benefit From the Trade

The Lightning provide a change of scenery for a talented defender in Grzelcyk, who fell out of favor with Boston and hasn’t fit under head coach Mike Sullivan’s Penguins. Like the Anthony Duclair trade, this deal is a low-risk buy for the Lightning to help bolster the back end and provide another layer of offense. For Pittsburgh, general manager Kyle Dubas recuperates draft capital for someone they will likely lose to free agency this summer.

Tampa Bay Lightning: In or Out on Grzelcyk?

Grzelcyk isn’t a terrible trade target for the Lightning and is much more reasonable than Ferraro. However, the Lightning need more help on forward than defense this season. Grzelcyk also isn’t under contract past this season and isn’t getting younger. At 31 years old, the Lightning would lose Grzelcyk in free agency due to the rising salary cap in the coming years. Grzelcyk to Tampa Bay isn’t a bad move, but it’s also not the best option.