30-year old Stanley Cup winning defenseman Brett Lebda(21) signed a one-year deal with Columbus Blue Jackets after starting the season with their AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons.
Without a contract for the 2011/2012 season, he agreed to a pto in November with Springfield in hopes of making back to the NHL.
He makes that happen with an injury to the big club and good play in the minors. In 26 games he got a goal and had 9 assists, while playing at an even plus/minus. No doubt, he’s also helped the younger guys in the system, bringing 8 years of pro experience to the locker room.
As a defenseman who’s played in 367 NHL games and played for 5 years for Detroit Red Wings, he was the natural choice to fill-in.
Rumor has it the Blue Jackets had something to do with him getting signed to his tryout agreement with the Falcons.
He was undrafted and played his first season the year of the NHL lockout, signed by Detroit and playing with their minor league affiliate Grand Rapid Griffins.
