Eric Gryba Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Vesa Awesaka
- Start date
ChocolateLeclaire
Registered User
I know...I don't get the hate for the guy. He was a bottom pairing D-man asked to kill penalties. You're not going to see any team have superstars in their bottom pair. Chicago just won a Cup with 4 defensemen! They'd have killed to have Gryba over what they had to dress.
God Says No
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- Mar 16, 2012
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I think it's the EA NHL mentality where people expect Dougie Hamilton like player playing on the third pairing. It just doesn't work that way in real life. I don't know what the plan is for the third pairing RHD, but we better hope Wideman, Wikstrand, or some FA works out or we don't have any other options.
They had to move 1 D for sure. With little depth at right D, they weren't specifically shopping Gryba but he's a ufa after next season and a couple of teams kept calling at the deadline and again recently he was supposed to be part of a package with Lehner that didn't materialize. There are many situations where they will miss the big guy but they just can't play again with 8 one way contracts. I'm expecting them to offer Wideman a 1 year 2 way deal with the guarantee of a fair chance with possibly a 2nd year being 1 way but he may choose the ufa route. Hope they don't give him a one way in year 1 and end up in the same boat with 2 extra D. With a glut of forwards they need space on the 23 man roster to carry a few extras.
Blame Phillips for not retiring
Blame Phillips for not retiring
He had his moments but he was a replaceable player on this team. Bring up someone from Bingo, please.
It's always better when your depth comes from the farm team so they can keep playing. Having 2 guys sitting every game isn't healthy. The Sens got boxed in by having 8 one-way D. It did no one a favor least of all the players themselves except maybe financially. This is possibly something that could be revisited in the next CBA.
Tee Lo
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- May 1, 2015
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DrEasy
Out rumptackling
I liked Gryba. Unfortunately it seems that he regressed last year. No longer fearsome and dishing out big hits, and making more mistakes.
Then there's the famous "what is a Gryba, and why doesn't it ever leave the ice?" from back when he was fairly new and showed a lot of promise, in that case against the Rangers.
It's ok that he's gone, as long as he's replaced with a better D. We have the money now, don't we?
Methot - Karlsson
??? - Ceci <- "???" should also play a mean PP
Cowen/Wiercioch - BoroCop
Then there's the famous "what is a Gryba, and why doesn't it ever leave the ice?" from back when he was fairly new and showed a lot of promise, in that case against the Rangers.
It's ok that he's gone, as long as he's replaced with a better D. We have the money now, don't we?
Methot - Karlsson
??? - Ceci <- "???" should also play a mean PP
Cowen/Wiercioch - BoroCop
Laphroaig
Registered User
I thought he was under appreciated here. I always liked him and expect him to do well in Edmonton.
The real issue is that we have Borowiecki, who does everything Gryba does but is also a slightly better skater and fights more often when someone needs to legitimately stand up for teammates or themself. Playing them together regularly resulted in opposing teams keeping the puck in our end for long shifts at 5 on 5. Combine that with the fact Gryba was taking up a roster spot that could be used for Wideman, who could potentially add some much needed puck movement to the 3rd pairing, and that's why you have the hate. If Gryba were slightly better than Boro, Wideman was a LD, or if Claesson had an amazing season in the AHL, perhaps the hate would be on Boro. Though I imagine being a local boy would still buy Boro a lot of leeway.
And yes, while Chicago did win the Cup with pretty much 4 D, that's the exception, not the rule. Our top 3 is nowhere near as good as Keith, Seabrook, and Hjalmersson. We have Karlsson. As much as I love Methot, I'd definitely take Seabrook over him one on one. And Hjalmersson is better right now than either Ceci or Wiercioch. Meanwhile, people seem to forget Oduya played like hot garbage during the regular season. He stepped up in the playoffs big time, but that many, including some on these boards, think a soon-to-be 34 year old coming off a terrible regular season is worth pursuing on the UFA market is insane.
Jorge Garcia
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- Dec 9, 2004
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Both Cup finalists this year had terrible 5 and 6 dmen. Tampa was almost afraid to put Sustr or Carle on the ice. Gryba and Boro are no Norris candidates, but both are better than anything the finalists could put out as a 3rd pairing.
So where exactly should Cowen slot to start the season. He's not Gryba. He will have had another off-season of recovery from an injury (and surgery). We are set on the RD side with Karlsson, Ceci and now Wideman. Unless someone plays there off side, we will have
Methot - Karlsson
Wiercioch - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Cowen -
Phillips -
Claesson (first call-up)
And who knows where Wikstrand, Englund, Chabot, Harpur, Wolonin and Jaros end up. Hopefully as many as possible in Binghamton.
Gryba will be missed I think as depth at least.
Methot - Karlsson
Wiercioch - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Cowen -
Phillips -
Claesson (first call-up)
And who knows where Wikstrand, Englund, Chabot, Harpur, Wolonin and Jaros end up. Hopefully as many as possible in Binghamton.
Gryba will be missed I think as depth at least.
Vesa Awesaka
#KeepTheSenate
- Jul 4, 2013
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My guess
Methot-Karlsson
Wier-Ceci
Cowen-Boro/Wideman
Boro is said to have AHL experience on the rightside and he did play one or two games there this year. My guess is Murray will be very angry if cowen is a healthy scratch. He was unhappy when maclean scratched him this year
I can get behind Murray's enthusiasm to have Cowen play after he has spent the last months building him up. But he will still be pretty cold from injury recovery over the summer again. Boro training pretty hard these days I'll bet to lengthen that gap.
Larionov
Registered User
Gryba's hit on Eller will always be one of this franchise's more epic moments. Good guy, and a hard working, honest player. I wish him all the best in Edmonton...
mcnorth
Registered User
- Jun 28, 2011
- 4,266
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I will miss him as I was usually pretty comfortable with him in the line-up and on the ice. He knew himself and played his game most of the time. Very good +/- in his time here and a rare commodity on RD. I always thought if we were ever a contender he'd basically be our Adam McQuaid guy. I think he'll do fine most nights as a third pair physical guy for Edmonton as long as he plays his game, but he's going to struggle against Calgary and some of the footspeed in the west.
This year was bizarre. Again, is this the norm? Let's look at the Cup finalists the last few years. The Rangers in 2014 had a really solid defence with McDonagh, Girardi, Staal, Stralman, Klein, and Moore as the #6. The Kings has Doughty, Voynov, Muzzin, Martinez, and Mitchell and Greene as their third pairing with Regehr as the #7. 2013, the Bruins had Chara, a still decent Seidenberg, Hamilton, Boychuk, Krug, Ference, McQuaid and picked up Redden for further depth. Blackhawks that year had Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmersson, Oduya (who had a decent regular season), Leddy, and a still capable Rosival. Yes, the third pairings on these teams weren't made up of Norris contenders, but they could still play more than 10 mins a game or less.
