On Saturday Jarmo Kekalainen dipped his toes into the free agency waters for the first time, signing depth forward Brian Gibbons to a one-year deal.
Gibbons' contract is a two-way deal, but he figures to have a good chance of making the team out of camp.
Gibbons was the beneficiary of a injury battered Penguins team, which allowed him a chance to become an NHL regular, and he didn't look back after getting his opportunity. Gibbons recorded 17 points in 41 regular season games and followed that up with a good playoff performance that Blue Jackets' fans surely remember.
Personally I was surprised he wasn't able to get a one-way contract, but as I said he's a good bet to make the team out of camp.
Here's how his numbers compare to Columbus' 4th line players who saw action in the NHL last season.
As you can see, Gibbons had the highest rate of production offensively - though partly because he saw some top-6/9 time, but credit to him for producing - during full strength as well as the highest penalty differential and best possession numbers of the group. What those shot attempt numbers say is that the Penguins drove play at a higher rate with him on the ice than without.
As for his plus-10 penalty differential, that's simply excellent. Many teams have their bottom-6's filled with players who aren't overly talented and spend more time in the box than on the ice, so any time you have a guy who can produce some offense and create more opportunities for top players, it's a huge advantage.
Again, some of these numbers are likely the product of spending some time with good players, but kudos to him for taking advantage of the opportunities he was given. He's not a top-6 guy by any means, but if there's an injury he can fill that role in the short term. Gibbons can also play center or wing, and kill penalties, so he's more or less a Swiss army knife.
The signing may not seem big, but now more than ever teams need cheap bottom-6 players who can skate and actually play hockey, and Gibbons fits that bill.
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