Hurricanes Add More Depth, Sign Winger Nathan Gerbe To Two-Way Deal

Forward Nathan Gerbe, who spent the past three full seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before being bought out this summer, has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. He will earn $550,000 in the NHL and $150,000 in the AHL, with a guaranteed payout of at least $250,000. He would have made $1.85 million with the Sabres this coming season if he had not been bought out.

Gerbe, 26, has been the shortest player in the NHL since entering the league, measuring 5-5 according to his NHL.com profile page. Gerbe's best campaign was his first full NHL season in 2010-11, when he scored 16 goals and added 15 assists in 64 games with Buffalo. His production dropped off the last two years — he registered a total of 11 goals and 24 assists in 104 games the past two seasons. He was named the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player in 2008, leading Boston College to the NCAA title.

Gerbe will likely compete with several other young players for a spot in Carlina's bottom two forward lines, and joins defenseman Andrej Sekera — who was acquired in a trade this summer — as players from last year's Buffalo roster to join the Hurricanes organization. Here is the release from the team.

HURRICANES AGREE TO TERMS WITH NATHAN GERBE
Winger agrees to one-year, two-way contract

RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Vice President of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with left wing Nathan Gerbe (GUHR-bee) on a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Gerbe $550,000 on the NHL level or $150,000 on the American Hockey League (AHL) level, with a guarantee of at least $250,000.

"Nathan has had success on the NHL level and should compete for a job with the Hurricanes during training camp," said Francis.

Gerbe, 26, netted five goals and added five assists (10 points) in 42 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2012-13. The Oxford, MI, native was also one for two in the shootout, with one game-deciding tally, and averaged 12:30 of ice time per game in his fifth NHL season. Selected by the Sabres in the fifth round, 142nd overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Gerbe (5’5", 178 lbs.) has totaled 29 goals and 43 assists (72 points) in 188 career NHL games, all with Buffalo. He has appeared in nine Stanley Cup playoff games for the Sabres, earning four points (3g, 1a). Gerbe was honored with the Dudley (Red) Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding rookie in 2009, after netting 30 goals and adding 26 assists (56 points) in 57 games during his first professional season.

Prior to turning professional, Gerbe completed three seasons at Boston College, where he led the nation in goals (35) and points (68) during his junior season. He was named USA Hockey’s National College Player of the Year, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and earned Most Outstanding Player at the Frozen Four after scoring eight points (5g, 3a) in two games to lead the Eagles to the 2008 NCAA championship. A product of the United States National Team Development Program, Gerbe has represented the United States in a number of international competitions including the 2004 and 2005 World Under-18 Championships and the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships.