Crazy to think that Montreal Canadiens’ 9th year Czech Republic-born, North American rookie defenseman Jakub Jerabek(28) earned his way up to his roster spot in the big league after 17 AHL games of solid play with affiliate Laval Rocket, where he scored a goal and 10 assists with a +10 rating.
In 14 NHL games, the 5’11” 200 lbs. blue liner has no points but is a +2 plus/minus in close to 20 minutes of work nightly on a team that doesn’t win that often.
The still fairly young, when you think about it, 26-year old has eight years of experience playing in the Czech Extraliga with hometown club HC Plzen and won a 2013 Championship along with a couple of personal awards.
He spent last year skating for Vityaz Podolsk, where he took his stats up another notch to 5 goals, 29 assists in 59 KHL games, and quite possibly that they saw him ready to come across.
Signed to only a one-year two-way deal with an opt out to head back to Europe clause in there, it’s pretty much looking like he’s trying not to look back and play his way into at least a 2-year extension.
And kind of looks like it will happen.