Dec. 31: The Penguins announced they’ve reassigned Graves to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after he cleared waivers today.
Dec. 30: Graves was formally waived today, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Dec. 29: After acquiring Yegor Chinakhov earlier today, the Penguins needed to open up a spot on their active roster for him. They’ve determined how to do that, as Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link) that the team has designated defenseman Ryan Graves as a non-roster player and will place him on waivers on Tuesday when the next waiver period opens.
This will be the second time this season that the 30-year-old will land on the waiver wire. Graves also found himself on waivers during training camp as he was among Pittsburgh’s last group of training camp cuts.
Despite passing through unclaimed and starting the season with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Graves has actually spent more time in Pittsburgh than with them. He got into 10 games at the minor league level to start the year and was productive, picking up a goal and six assists. That earned him a recall in early November and has been up since then, a stint that’s about to come to an end.
Graves has played in 17 games with Pittsburgh this season, albeit in a limited role as he’s barely averaging 15 minutes per night of ice time. In those outings, he has just one point – a goal – along with 31 blocked shots. While offense has never been his calling card, it’s fair to say that Graves isn’t living up to his $4.5MM per season contract, one that runs through the 2028-29 campaign.
Given that price tag, it’s a certainty that Graves will once again pass through unclaimed and be sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’ll join Mathew Dumba on a high-priced AHL back end. From there, he’ll look to work his way back to Pittsburgh, an outcome that could happen should the Penguins move any of their pending UFA blueliners, a group that includes Connor Clifton, Brett Kulak, and Ryan Shea.
I still hope someone claims him (key word…hope) but honestly…he’s been pretty solid this year, actually.
Instead of single-handedly costing us a game a week as he has the past few years, he’s been a largely invisible (in the good way) 3rd pair stay at home D man.
And in any event, Pittsburgh’s only three points out of a playoff berth, recent skid notwithstanding. It’s not that the Cliftons or Kulaks of the world would bring them enough of a return — at least not yet — that there would be an opening on the blue line.
Kulak and Clifton can both depart via UFA. Try and get something for them or in a package deal with either Rackell or Rust.
The Penguins have the picks to get rid of this salary if they were motivated to do so. I don’t believe anyone in the league wants this guy even with draft picks.
I have a theory of the case that the Pens can sell off a few pieces at the deadline based on…
A) how cheap (and decent) those players are
B) how cap strapped most contender are
A cheap player who fits under the cap has more value to a contender than a player whose AAV is too high regardless of how good that player is, especially with the new playoff cap rules.
Guys like Shea and Dewer who can fill important roles at league minimum or guys like Kulak or Hayes after we eat half of their AAV. I think we can get better than normal returns for those types.
I think the trade was made yesterday knowing they would be picking up additional picks at this deadline for the players you mentioned and most likely Mantha as well
Ryan Shea must be extended. He is one of the very few good fits on this roster. Lose him and the Penguins have absolutely nothing on the blue line.
Guys like Karlsson (traded somehow) and Letang (mutual retirement before he has a fatal cardiac arrest on the ice!) need to go whichever way possible.
The guy’s on the third pairing and they say “barely averaging 15 minutes a night”! What more do you want from the third duo – a free tour of the Andy Warhol museum? Graves is in OT of a decent NHL career, making good coin & not stinkin’ up the joint when he’s tapped. Cut him a break…
But . . . he does stink up the joint. Hence why he can barely make it on the third pairing when he is paid and expected to play on the first or second.