Yesterday, rumors sprung up that the Edmonton Oilers were talking contract with defender Eric Gryba. Just about 24 hours later, Gryba has put pen to paper and signed a two-year contract with the Oilers. Gryba made the Oilers on a camp tryout last fall and fit in as a solid depth defender on the roster.
In his two years with Edmonton, Gryba has proven to be a very good fit on a Todd McLellan team, playing a physical style of hockey while also being extremely responsible defensively. As the sixth or seventh defender, Gryba is an absolutely perfect fit with this club. He knows his role, plays it well, and is a positive force in the dressing room.
Numbers wise, Gryba doesn’t provide much. He posted 1-5-6 in 53 games during the 2015-16 season, then followed that up with 2-5-6 in 40 games during the 2016-17 campaign. Gryba also found himself dressed for three of Edmonton’s 13 playoff games this past spring, going pointless.
Gryba’s value, however, is not offensive but rather defensive. In that sense, he’s a strong player, and that’s where he makes his money.
Financially, Gryba will make $1.8 million over the course of this deal, meaning he’ll have an AAV of $900,000 per year on the cap.
Is Gryba a sexy option? No, his style doesn’t fit that description, but he is a solid depth defender and can play at the NHL level. He defends extremely well and plays his role to perfection. On a small contract like the one he just signed, Gryba is a fine depth option. Just like with Zack Kassian yesterday, Peter Chiarelli did well with this Gryba contract today.
Barring another addition to Edmonton’s roster (think Cody Franson or Michael Stone), Gryba could open the season as the sixth defender on Edmonton’s roster while Andrej Sekera works his way back from a torn ACL. I’m not comfortable with Gryba in that role long-term, but for two or three months he should fare just fine.
Overall, solid work by Peter Chiarelli to get an NHL defender on a friendly contract today.
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