Just Who Is Eric Gryba?

When Peter Chiarelli took over we knew we were going to see some changes, in PC’s first press conference he said he wanted a team that was quick and hard to play against. Well Eric Gryba is hard to play against. The man is huge, 6’4″ 222lbs, and he plays with the type of edge his size will allow. During his time in Ottawa he didn’t get big minutes, but when he did play he could be counted on to make reliable plays in his own end.

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Gryba is only 27 years old, and his stats have been steady throughout his career. When you look at the hero chart (Above) from Own The Puck, we see that his corsi against ranks him as a top 4 defenseman, meaning the other team is not getting as many shot attempts to be successful. Shots on goal/60min and points/60 both have him in the top 4 as well. Corsi for has him as a number 7 guy, and ice time has him as a bottom pair. I’m not that concerned about the corsi for percentage, I’d rather as a stay at home defenseman he keeps the puck out of his zone and away from his goaltender.

When we talk about the eye test, in my mind he gets a resounding pass. I’ve seen him live a few times and every time I’ve watched him he’s been a stand out for me. Much of that probably has to do with his size, but the man can battle and he doesn’t lose those battles often. In front of the net, in the corners or along the wall, Gryba has the ability to play the body. Think Keith Aulie but a much better skater, and more effective at plying his trade.

Gryba knows what is expected of him, he’s played just 165 games in the NHL but I don’t consider him a prospect anymore. I also don’t think he’s hit his ceiling yet, best case is he turns into a reliable stay at home guy who ends up playing top 4 minutes. More likely though is he’ll eventually be a fixture to be relied on for the 3rd pairing and getting his extra ice time killing penalties. If everything works out, we’ll see Gryba resigning sometime after January for a 2-3 year deal at reasonable dollars.

Thanks for Reading.