Although he was bought out by the Oilers last month, defenseman Eric Gryba isn’t going to be out of a job for long. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner is close to signing with New Jersey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 30-year-old split last season between Edmonton and their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. In 21 games with the Oilers, he picked up two assists along with 31 penalty minutes while averaging 14:44 per night. Meanwhile, in the minors, he was held off the scoresheet in 24 contests while spending 27 minutes in the penalty box.
Gryba, a veteran of 279 career NHL games between Ottawa and Edmonton, will likely battle for a spot at the back of New Jersey’s back end. If he fails to land a spot, he’d then likely served as a top call-up option when injuries strike during the season, similar to the role he had with the Oilers in 2017-18.