Carolina Hurricanes: Best Trades of the First Ten Years

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UNIONDALE, NY – JANUARY 7: Andrew Hutchinson #24 congratulates Goaltender Martin Gerber #29 of the Carolina Hurricanes on a 3-0 shutout against the New York Islanders on January 7, 2006 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

The Swiss Keeper

With Arturs Irbe in decline and Kevin Weekes signing with the New York Rangers after the 2003-04 season, the Hurricanes were in need of a goalie. On June 18th, 2004, GM Jim Rutherford found one:

See, I told you we’d come back to Tomas Malec! With J.S. Giguere (him again) entrenched as the number one in Anaheim and Ilya Bryzgalov ready to break in, interim GM Al Coates shipped Martin Gerber to the Hurricanes.

Untested as a starter, Gerber’s Hurricane debut was postponed by the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

Boy, did he make up for lost time.

In his single season guarding the Carolina net, Gerber went 38-14-6 with a goals-against-average of 2.78, a save percentage of .906, and 3 shutouts. While his faltering play in the postseason opened the door for Cam Ward to steal the show, the Hurricanes wouldn’t have posted a record-setting season without Gerber.

Kyle Klubertanz, the player taken with the pick, never played in the NHL.

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