NHL free agency: Ranking the best defenseman options
By Marci Rubin
Top NHL UFA defenseman options: 7. Ryan Graves
Age: 28
2022-23 team: New Jersey Devils
The youngest pending UFA on this list, Ryan Graves, is a shutdown defenseman who has exceeded expectations for a fourth-round draft pick. Drafted by the New York Rangers, Graves has played three seasons in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche and two seasons with the New Jersey Devils. Graves signed a three-year $9.5 million contract with the Avalanche in 2020 before being traded to the Devils in 2021 for the remaining two years of his contract.
A well-rounded top-six defenseman, Graves is skilled with puck possession, showing an ability to transition the puck from one side of the ice to the other. He blocked 152 shots during the 2022-23 regular season. Graves and his usual linemate, John Marino, were often on the ice for the Devils’ toughest minutes against opponents’ top offensive lines. Graves gets a lot of minutes on the penalty kill. He sometimes struggles to get back on the play, which is something Marino excels at, part of what makes them a strong pairing. Graves makes a lot of heads-up plays and gets the puck away from his team’s goal.
Ryan Graves sweeps it off the doorstep to keep the #NJDevils lead! pic.twitter.com/ytAfEzUlR2
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) March 31, 2023
Over five NHL seasons, Graves has shown he can be useful on both sides of the ice. While he’s certainly not going to break records for goals by a defenseman, he’s not afraid to take a shot. Graves took 141 shots in the 2022-23 regular season and scored 8 goals. He had 28 points in 2021-22 and 26 points in 2022-23. Graves can be successful when paired with an offensive defenseman or a defense-first defenseman.
There’s an outside chance that Graves stays in New Jersey, but it’s unlikely given that standout defenseman Luke Hughes is NHL-ready and would pair nicely with defense-first Marino. The Devils also expect prospect Simon Nemec to be NHL-ready. However, Graves has chemistry with his teammates, and the Devils are coming off of a huge year with a 49-point improvement over the previous season, the largest turnaround in NHL history.
Losing Graves would leave a hole in the penalty kill, one the Devils would struggle to fill with their remaining defensemen and two rookies. Don’t rule out a return to Jersey. Graves might find a bigger contract elsewhere, though.