Player's Profile
Picture Courtesy of www.ushl.com
- Name: Eric Gryba
- Position: D
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 215 lbs
- Birthdate: 1988-04-14
- Eligible for Draft: 2006
- Drafted:
- Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Acquired: 3rd round, 68th overall, 2006 NHL Draft
- Playing In: NCAA
Eric Gryba
Prospect Grade: 6.5 C (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: DJ Powers
History
2003-04: Gryba was selected by the Portland Winter Hawks in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft with the 23rd overall pick. However, Gryba decided to continue to go the college route and played Midget AAA hockey with the Saskatoon Contacts. Gryba scored 1 goal and 10 assists in 39 regular season games for Saskatoon, which took the regular season title. The Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs saw Gryba explode for 4 goals and 8 assists in 10 games. Although the Contacts lost the SMAAAHL championship to the Tisdale Trojans, Gryba led the league in defense playoff scoring and fourth in overall scoring. Considering how strongly he finished the season, the Contacts named Gryba their Most Improved Player.
2004-05: Gryba picked up where he left off in the 2004 playoffs and scored 11 goals and 29 assists in 32 games. He led the SMAAAHL in defense scoring despite missing 12 games. The Contacts won the SMAAAHL championship in 2005, and Gryba led the way with 5 goals, 7 assists, and his physical presence on the blueline. Gryba again led the SMAAHL in defense playoff scoring and was 10th in overall scoring. The Contacts named Gryba their Top Defenseman, and the SMAAHL did the same. The Contacts advanced to the Canadian National Midget Championships in Gatineau and won the TELUS Cup. In the process, Gryba was named the National Defensive Player of the Year.
2005-06: Gryba gained residency in British Columbia during the summer in order to play for the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. However, Hockey Canada did not allow the inter-branch transfer, so Gryba left Canada to play for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. In early December Gryba committed to Boston University for the 2006-07 season. Central Scouting and the USHL coaches selected Gryba to play in the USHL Top Prospects/All-Star Game in Sioux City Feb. 8. After skating in 56 regular season games, Gryba led the USHL in penalty minutes with 205. He also managed to score 3 goals and 12 assists. Green Bay was swept in three games in the USHL Playoffs, but Gryba led the Gambers in scoring with a goal and an assist, stepping up after top Green Bay defenseman Jeremy Dehner was injured in Game 1 of the series.
2006-07: In his freshman year at Boston University, Gryba managed 1 goal and 1 assist in 33 games. He continued to show strong physical presence and defensive play finishing with 68 penalty minutes and a +8 rating. In the playoffs, Gryba once again stepped it up, tying his season totals in just 5 games played. Gryba also picked up 8 penalty minutes and went –4.
Read HF's interview with Eric Gryba.
Derek Cheng contributed to this profile
Talent Analysis
At 6’4, 215 pounds, Gryba can utterly destroy opponents with hits. Gryba did not lay down Scott Stevens-caliber hits every night, but every now and again he used his size and timed a hit just right to stand up an opponent at the blueline, while skating backwards, with earth shattering force. That said, Gryba still must improve his skating. He needs more acceleration backwards and could use more strength in his legs to generate a more powerful stride forward. Along with a bit more power, Gryba needs quicker feet for better agility and better acceleration.
Offensively, Gryba has a hard point shot and he makes a good outlet pass and can be difficult to stop when he gets his momentum going carrying the puck.
Defensively, Gryba has good defensive awareness and is a tremendous competitor, sometimes to his detriment. Gryba led the USHL in penalty minutes not because he’s a dirty player (he’s not), but because he does not back down from a challenge, and all sorts of players challenged Gryba to a fight in 2005-06. Most USHL teams would trade a fourth line forward off the ice for five in exchange for Gryba off for five.
Future
Gryba is a defenseman who should develop a lot under Jack Packer at Boston University. The college game will force him to become quicker but will also allow him to focus on what he truly wants to focus on, skill. The primary reason Gryba did not go the major junior route was to concentrate on skill over physical play. Gryba’s sheer determination to reach his goal, shown in moving to British Columbia and then to the USHL when he wasn’t allowed to transfer, shows he’ll do whatever it takes. If he becomes a more explosive player, improves his footspeed, and adjusts from playing the long minutes he played at a pace in midgets, he has the tools to become a solid fourth or fifth NHL defenseman.
Stats
| Eric Gryba - D | ||||||||||||
| Seas | Team | Leag. |
GP
|
G
|
A
|
TP
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
PG
|
SG
|
GW
|
SH
|
| 03-04 | Saskatoon Con. | SMAAHL |
39
|
1
|
10
|
11
|
-
|
89
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
| 03-04* | Saskatoon Con. | SMAAHL |
10
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
-
|
20
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
-
|
| 04-05 | Saskatoon Con. | SMAAHL |
32
|
11
|
29
|
40
|
-
|
83
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
-
|
| 04-05* | Saskatoon Con. | SMAAHL |
11
|
5
|
7
|
12
|
-
|
22
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
-
|
| 05-06 | Green Bay | USHL |
56
|
3
|
12
|
15
|
+13
|
205
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
62
|
| 05-06* | Green Bay | USHL |
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
-5
|
27
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
| 06-07 | Boston U | NCAA |
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Profile Last Updated: August, 31st 2007
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