Eric Gryba

Edmonton Oilers: Eric Gryba's Performance Has Mixed Reviews

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Edmonton Oilers have been playing without defensemen Kris Russell and Brandon Davidson. Because of their long-term absences, the Oilers have had to rely on their backup players.

Eric Gryba and Matthew Benning have been subbing in for the two injured blueliners. Benning has thrived in his rookie debut and appears to get stronger each game. However, it looks as if veteran Gryba’s performance has mixed reviews. Without further ado, let’s take a look at his play so far this year.

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Physicality

After a strong performance during his tryout with Edmonton, Gryba barely cracked the opening night roster. The seventh defenseman is a 6-foot-4, 228-pound force to be reckoned with, and has been a strong physical presence. With 43 hits and 12 blocks through 12 games, Gryba throws about 12 hits per 60 minutes, as well as 3.4 blocks per 60.

He knows how to back-check and be a strong bottom-pairing defenseman who can throw hits, create a ruckus and keep up with the pace of the game.

Puck Possession

While his physical numbers appear strong, Gryba is truly struggling in other areas. One of them is puck possession. He turns over the puck quite often and struggles to backcheck. He also boasts a -3.8 relative Fenwick, and these lead to Oilers.

Analytics point to the fact that he struggles with possession, and though they don’t tell the true story for players like Russell, it easily depicts Gryba. He turns over the puck and makes rough plays that lead to scoring chances for the other team. This was on full display Sunday when he made a cross-ice pace to Darnell Nurse that led to a Michael Grabner breakaway goal.

Speed

When watching Gryba, it’s easy to see he struggles with making it back on time to backcheck. He appears slow at times and in the end, this causes problem when he needs to get back fast. It also leaves Darnell Nurse out to dry, as also displayed in the loss to New York.

Gryba is a minus-3 through his last two games, and has been on the ice for multiple scoring chances and goals. This is not a good sign for the 28-year-old, who will likely easily lose his roster spot when Davidson or Russell return.