The Columbus Blue Jackets have seen enough from Nathan Gerbe to determine that they want to keep him around. The veteran forward has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension that will take him through 2019-20. The deal pays Gerbe an average annual value of $675K in the NHL, and breaks down as follows:
- 2018-19: $650K NHL/$250K AHL, $400K guarantee
- 2019-20: $700K NHL/$250K AHL, $400K guarantee
Gerbe will take home no less than $400K for each season, not a bad deal for a player who was close to being out of North American hockey altogether at one point. In 18 games with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, Gerbe has 12 points. In his two NHL contests, he’s been held scoreless.
The 5’5″ forward has found quite a bit of success at the highest level of hockey, going back to his days as an offensive powerhouse for Boston College. Though the professional ranks haven’t brought the same level of offensive success, Gerbe does have two 16-goal, 31-point seasons in the NHL and has always produced at the AHL level. After a brief sojourn in Switzerland, Gerbe is back on North American soil and will have to accept his role as a fringe NHLer.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provided the financial details of the contract.