Like many others in the Bruins’ dressing room, the first week of March dragged to a crawl for Matt Grzelcyk.
For any NHLer not coated in no-trade protection, the days leading up to the league’s trade deadline usually prompt sticks to be gripped a little tighter and players to dread the buzz of an unexpected phone call.
Operating on an expiring contract, Grzelcyk is well aware of the nature of the business.
But for all of the expected anxiety that creeps into players’ psyche this time of year, the 30-year-old defenseman still found himself in a much better space than at the start of the 2023-24 season — when the dread drawn up by an uncertain future was at an all-time high.