New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has had quite a busy offseason and yet unrestricted free agency (UFA) is still on the Horizon. Fitzgerald locked up core pieces in Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier to 8 year deals while also extended depth forward Erik Haula. The Devils then added to an already formidable top-6 by acquiring winger Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames. These moves have had financial implications on the rest of New Jersey’s roster, namely their pending UFAs. A number of these players have decided to test free agency including 28-year-old defenceman Ryan Graves. The Yarmouth, Nova Scotia native is coming off several decent seasons with the Devils where he’s established himself as a top-4 D-man in a demanding system. Despite Graves growth as a player, the Devils understandably feel comfortable letting him walk due to the emergence of high end prospects like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec on their blue line as soon as this coming season.
In 2022-23, Graves recorded 8 goals and 26 points over 78 regular season games and tallied just 1 assist in 10 postseason contests. Over the past 3 seasons, Graves has hovered around 20 minutes of average time-on-ice (TOI), including 3 short-handed minutes per game. Graves measures at 6’5 220 lbs but is not an overly physical player. He ranked third among Devils blueliners in hits with 83 and had just 28 penalty minutes (PIMs). Although Graves did lead New Jersey in blocked shots with 152, a mark that ranked 20th league-wide. It’s clear that Graves plays a defensively responsible game dictated by smart positioning opposed to physicality. Nonetheless his tools are sure to be valued on the open market.
There are numerous contracts signed in recent years that can be utilized to gauge what Graves’ next deal might look like. Among the comparables are Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6 million x 5 years in 2021), Connor Murphy ($4.4 million x 4 years in 2021) and Josh Manson ($4.5 million x 4 years in 2022). Based on these figures, a team signing Graves should be offering a contract between $4.5 and $5.5 million annually over 4-6 years of term. Entering free agency as a 28 year old should further entice GMs as it’s not often that D-men of that age and play style are made available.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have a staggering $39 million in cap space this offseason, though it’s worth noting a chunk of it will be allocated to restricted-free-agents (RFAs) like forwards Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and D-man Jamie Drysdale. The left side of their D-corps is rather weak after Cam Fowler, featuring players like Jackson Lacombe and Colton White. Graves would immediately become the go-to shutdown option for the Ducks, something they severely lacked this past season.
Florida Panthers
Fresh off their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in more than 2 decades, the Panthers have quickly entered the offseason rumour mill. They’ve been linked to Calgary Flames defender Noah Hanifin but in the event nothing materializes, Is Graves plan-B? Panthers Coach Paul Maurice has valued hulking defencemen on his blue line going back to his early Winnipeg Jets days (i.e. Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Brenden Dillon) and Graves certainly fits that bill.
Buffalo Sabres
Funnily enough, the other team involved in Hanifin rumours is the Sabres. General Manager Kevyn Adams didn’t make a big splash in free agency last summer but does the past season in which his team showed great growth and promise make him think otherwise this offseason?
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