What player today is most comparable to Adam Graves?

[rangers1314]

Wayne Simmonds

 

[Kocur Dill]

Simmonds reminds me more of Tocchet

Tocchet and Graves weren't comparable players. IMO. Two different approaches to the PF position.


If Burrows could have kept his act together and maintained his potential, with a couple peak years in retrospect of his theoretical career, he could have been a candidate for a Graves clone. He was trending in that direction for awhile.

Although an argument could be made that if today's NHL were the 90's NHL maybe Burrows career might not have been so thrown off track with discipline. Injuries aside, the guys game has been neutered making him less effective with the puck.

 

[Ola]

I've respected Cwede for many years, but can we please ban him for his post in this thread? (J/k)

 

[Charlie Conway]

Hockey Reference lists some current comparables as Steen, Ladd, and Kesler.

I can see a bit of Graves' game in Ladd and Kesler. Kesler has that leadership, some scoring, and defense, but he's not that power forward mold. Steen is an interesting one, but I think Steen has a bit more scoring and far less of that mean streak.

 

[silverfish]

Joe Pavelski.

Prime Andrew Ladd and David Backes. Ryan Kesler. Though the latter two were centers they play a game very similar to Graves.

Callahan is probably the only recent Ranger who I feel comfortable making that comparison. Callahan prior to the lockout at least . Not sure what happened to him after.

Backes. I like that one.

 

[Jackson Ranger]

Is Brendan Morrow still active?

I believe he is retired but he is the closest I have seen to Graves.

 

[Lion Hound]

Good idea for a thread.

Very hard to really come up with a good comparision though. I mean there are plenty of power forwards out there. Some better then others, but all play a very different game and it even harder when you compare them in the era they played in.

Shane Doan - Bigger then Graves in size but shares a lot of the same characteristics. I think he would be my first choice. Statistically they are pretty close as well. Doan with the longer career has a lot more points then Graves, but in Goals, PIMS, seasons the numbers are similar. The big difference between the two are their roles. Doan was THE leader his entire career. He didn't ride shotgun. Graves was the perfect Leuitenant. He was a leader for sure, however he was also the enforcer to Marc Messier. The loyalist of soldiers. Not just on the ice, but in the room. Graves made sure that team bought into the system. Made sure those guys walked the line. Made sure they were one cohesive unit. Doan didn't get to ride shotgun in the role during his career. Doan would have made a tremendous leuitenant himself but his career was spent almost entirely on a team that could barely support itself. He was put into a losing situation and showed incredible character by remaining at his post that whole time.

Doan played 20 NHL Seasons
Graves played 17 NHL Seasons

Doan scored 396 Goals in his NHL his career
Graves scores 329 Goals his NHL career

Doan has 1305 PIMS throughout his career
Graves has 1224 PIMS throughout his career

Other comparisions :
Ryan Callahan
Brendan Morrow

 

[Hunter Gathers]

MaxPac for sure.

People are going to look at PIMs and ask why, though? But it's an interesting yet faulty comparison point to current players, if you ask me. If you look at the stats, you'd think that Graves all but lost his mean streak in the second half of his career. But this was more of a sign of the times than it was him being some mean and nasty player. The 1991 Oilers had 7 players above 100 PIMs. 10 years later, the 2001 Rangers had 5. Compare the penalty minutes in 2001. The league leader had over 1500 PIMs. The league leader this past season had just over 1000.

So, I think that MaxPac is the best comparison for him today. He has always had a mean streak, but it just doesn't come out much. A sign of the current times more so than the player, if you ask me.

 

[Alluckks]

Put MaxPac in the early 90's and I'm sure his angered side comes out more often. Different game today.

Chris Drury in his final Buffalo years and first couple Ranger years maybe - if we are picking someone that was a Ranger in the last decade.

 

[RangerBoy]

Players like Adam Graves don't exist in the NHL today. Different era. Guys like Brendan Shanahan,Wendel Clark,Gary Roberts,etc do not exist anymore. All of those players were rough and tumble. They could kick your butt and score 30-40 goals. I miss those kind of players.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Im really having trouble making the comparison. Im not sure there are any. Graves had seasons of 38,52, and 36 goals with the Rangers. In his hey day, he was also an enforcer. If someone looked at Messier funny, Graves would drop the gloves with them. They dont make them like that anymore.

 

[Alluckks]

Players like Adam Graves don't exist in the NHL today. Different era. Guys like Brendan Shanahan,Wendel Clark,Gary Roberts,etc do not exist anymore. All of those players were rough and tumble. They could kick your butt and score 30-40 goals. I miss those kind of players.

For the same reason you don't see guys like Night Train Lane in the NFL anymore. Different style of play. Different types of players get developed to suit the game, and excel.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Wayne Simmonds

Graves was a much more intelligent player than Simmonds. Simmonds can be a detriment to his team at times. Graves was never that.

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

As far as Former Rangers, how about Steve Vickers? Tough, stood up to opponents , and could score By grinding or shooting the puck.

 

[surf]

Best one yet

As far as Former Rangers, how about Steve Vickers? Tough, stood up to opponents , and could score By grinding or shooting the puck.

 

[chosen]

Teddy Irvine was a good one for standing up for his teammates too

Hands of stone in two ways.

 

[chosen]

Closest now comparison would be Milan Lucic.FWIW, Lucic doesn't possess the same mean streak as Adam Graves.

I think Lucic has far more of a mean streak than Graves.

 

[we want cup]

How about Toews? Obviously he plays C and isn't the goalscorer Graves was in his prime, but I think he fits in a lot of other ways.

 

[chosen]

How about Toews? Obviously he plays C and isn't the goalscorer Graves was in his prime, but I think he fits in a lot of other ways.

Toews is light years better than Graves ever was.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Put MaxPac in the early 90's and I'm sure his angered side comes out more often. Different game today.

Chris Drury in his final Buffalo years and first couple Ranger years maybe - if we are picking someone that was a Ranger in the last decade.

Exactly. MaxPac can be dirty at times as well (just like Graves). I don't see anyone in the league that reminds me of Graves to a full extent, but MaxPac checks off more boxes than anyone else.

 

[eco's bones]

Hands of stone in two ways.

Irvine was a third liner--a comparable today would be Dale Weise.

I think Lucic has far more of a mean streak than Graves.

Lucic is bigger, meaner tougher--he's also a good player but not nearly as good as Graves was and not nearly as consistent or as rounded.

Exactly. MaxPac can be dirty at times as well (just like Graves). I don't see anyone in the league that reminds me of Graves to a full extent, but MaxPac checks off more boxes than anyone else.

MaxPac has never really struck me as a physical force. He does strike me as more talented than Graves--a better skater and a much better shot. Graves got most of his goals for 15' out and in. Pacioretty doesn't need to get that close to score goals.

Toews is light years better than Graves ever was.

Yep. Toews is no question HOF material. Graves possibly could make it to the HOF one day (like Richter) but he's a reach. Toews is a different player--a center and not a guy that drops the gloves very often or is always drilling people with body checks.

 

[egelband]

Jimmy Vesey!

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

I thought of him since he was in the headlines today as new Jets captain but how about Blake Wheeler? Leadership, can score the puck, tough.

 

[chosen]

Lucic is bigger, meaner tougher--he's also a good player but not nearly as good as Graves was and not nearly as consistent or as rounded.

My statement was that Lucic was meaner than Graves in contrast to another poster. Lucic also averaged more points per game and never had a Messier and Leetch on his team, so saying Lucic was not nearly as good as Graves is certainly a debatable point.

Yep. Toews is no question HOF material. Graves possibly could make it to the HOF one day (like Richter) but he's a reach. Toews is a different player--a center and not a guy that drops the gloves very often or is always drilling people with body checks.

Graves has zero chance at the HOF.

 

[One Winged Angel]

I might get blasted for this one, but Scott Hartnell reminds me almost exactly of Graves, except a bit taller. Gravey had a better shot, but I'd say Hartnell has better hands and they play the same exact kind of game. Grinding power forwards with talent and are great in front and around the net. Hartnell was much more of a ****-disturber than Graves, but in terms of just playing the game itself, Hartnell to me is Graves with a couple of more inches.

Hartnell is actually a very likable guy off the ice as well. However, not many people compare to Adam Graves in terms of being a genuinely great person.