Confirmed with Link: Avs re-sign Ryan Graves 3-year deal - $3.16M AAV

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I mean you're not wrong. I'm am being pretty hypocritical. I just can't forgive this guy for his play in the playoffs. I rooted for this man to be more than the 8 minute a night player that Bednar wouldn't give chances to. Then he starts to finally succeed and he completely let me and this team down. I'm probably just being salty. Hopefully he proves me wrong next year, but right now I want nothing to do with him.

He had a bad series against Dallas, but he was good until then.

He just had too much responsibility in that Dallas series. Cole was and Zadorov were playing absolutely terrible, and EJ was hurt. To much on his shoulders to try and carry the PK and be the 3rd best puck mover on the Defense when Zadorov was playing with 1 hand, Cole sucks, and EJ hurt.


It was also the kids first time playing playoff hockey. Yes he is 25, but he's only recently jumped into the NHL. Thats part of the reason why I think he still has upside to his game. If he can get a touch better on the PK and around the front of the net in general, he should be a regular #3/4D in the league for a number of years.


The Avs hopefully just need 1 more year from him playing Top 4 minutes, after that Byram should be ready to play that role.

 

[sethro109]

He had a bad series against Dallas, but he was good until then.

He just had too much responsibility in that Dallas series. Cole was and Zadorov were playing absolutely terrible, and EJ was hurt. To much on his shoulders to try and carry the PK and be the 3rd best puck mover on the Defense when Zadorov was playing with 1 hand, Cole sucks, and EJ hurt.


It was also the kids first time playing playoff hockey. Yes he is 25, but he's only recently jumped into the NHL. Thats part of the reason why I think he still has upside to his game. If he can get a touch better on the PK and around the front of the net in general, he should be a regular #3/4D in the league for a number of years.


The Avs hopefully just need 1 more year from him playing Top 4 minutes, after that Byram should be ready to play that role.

I hope you are right. I feel like we're putting too much on the rookie Bo and would have loved to find Makar a new partner this year. Maybe a new option will come around the trade dead line.

 

[The Shermanator]

Graves wins the Norris within this contract.

 

[Vk1ing]

Is 3.16 not bottom pairing cap hit?

Cole makes 4 mil

Lol and a majority of us hate the fact that he makes 4 million. In this new flat cap Era I don't like the amount of term he got.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

As long as Seattle takes him I'm fine with this.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

It’s going to turn out Graves was carrying Makar. He’s going to shatter the plus-minus record and make Langway look like Any Elmore

 

[AvsCOL]

Don’t mind the AAV, but I mind the term. 3 years for a likely bottom pairing defenseman is just completely unnecessary imo. Even if he outperforms what my expectations are, he’s still going to he #3LD by seasons end most likely. The Avs are currently spending $18mil+ on bottom 6 forwards/bottom pairing D.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Don’t mind the AAV, but I mind the term. 3 years for a likely bottom pairing defenseman is just completely unnecessary imo. Even if he outperforms what my expectations are, he’s still going to he #3LD by seasons end most likely. The Avs are currently spending $18mil+ on bottom 6 forwards/bottom pairing D.

I could see the Avs wanting to be patient with Bo Byram, unless he forces their hand like Makar

 

[The Abusement Park]

I could see the Avs wanting to be patient with Bo Byram, unless he forces their hand like Makar

It’s hard to be patient when your other option is Cole...

 

[AvsCOL]

I could see the Avs wanting to be patient with Bo Byram, unless he forces their hand like Makar

I think he’ll start in a bottom role, but as the season goes he’ll offer a ton more than Graves can. I’d argue his defensive game will surpass Graves very quickly, and his offensive game, well...

 

[Thepoolmaster]

Don't mind it. This was technically Graves rookie season and he played well. The guy deserves it despite a tough playoffs. Hopefully he can get some confidence back and continue to improve though I don't see him getting that much better. If he has a similar season to last the avs will lose him to expansion draft.

I'd still like to see the avs go out and get a depth RHD, because I trust Byram stepping in more than I do Timmins and EJ staying healthy.

 

[Islay1989]

It’s going to turn out Graves was carrying Makar. He’s going to shatter the plus-minus record and make Langway look like Any Elmore

Lol Delmore

What a blast from the past

 

[Hornstar]

Hate this! Rather have lost him and z and signed pie

 

[dahrougem2]

**** Ryan Graves

 

[AllAboutAvs]

How were people not expecting this with the year he had. So he had a bad series against Dallas. As Pierce said, he had way too much responsibilities put on him due to EJ's and Z's injuriies and Cole not stepping up. Furthermore a dman his age is usually pretty well done developing but he only has 110 NHL games played so he can still get better.

I was hoping the AAV just short of 3M because Sakic very often surprises us with contracts but I don't think he had a lot of leverage with Graves. In arbitration that contract could have easily been around 3.5M.

I'm willing to give him a chance to improve.

 

[CharlesPuck]

Plus minus master! LOVE IT

 

[Avs_19]

A bit too much. I would've preferred two years at slightly less than $3M/yr but that probably wasn't realistic because he most likely would've gotten more in arbitration. He wasn't good in the playoffs and I don't think he should be on the top pair but he has developed into a solid player.

 

[AvsRobin]

Not a huge fan of his. But 3.16m for 3 years isn't exactly top 4 money anymore. I was hoping before that he would sign like 2.5M x 4, but I guess ship sailed on that and I was afraid about what he was going to get. So was hoping for a one year deal.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

It's okay. I would have taken one or two year contract but I guess they think he is worth the gamble.

 

[Richard88]

Given the structure of the contract... I'd have preferred a 2 year, 2.75M deal and just take that 3rd UFA year out.

But it's still a solid deal. Time for the Gravy train to build on a great rookie year and establish himself as a legit Top 4D now.

The AAV and term are understandable, but I'm not a fan of this structure. If we need to trade him in a year or two his salary being more than his caphit will likely limit his trade value quite a lot (as compared to players with real salary that's lower than their caphit). But I guess that it's a calculated gamble by Sakic to pay less of Graves' salary and push most of the money to Seattle who likely take him in the Expansion Draft, and in that sense it might work out nicely.

 

[Balthazar]

So if Toews and Girard are in the top 4 on the left side did we just give him that contract to play bottom pair the next 3 years? What's the plan here? What about Byram?

 

[Foppa2118]

Thought it would be a little less on a two year deal, but I think the third year got him a little extra money.

Solid defenseman if kept in a limited role. Not upset with this signing. He could also be dealt at some point if Byram makes the team, and could also be a potential expansion pick.

I think the third year helps tempt Seattle to take him instead of other guys too. Might have been part of the calculation.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Man I thought I was harsh when I was young but y'all are crazy. It's fine, when you look around the league as well, it's fine.

Also it's very disingenuous to call him a bottom pairing dman or equate that with a 4th line player as if they should be making the same $. He's a very capable and stable bottom pairing dman that can play bigger minutes as well, that's a really nice thing to have.

 

[MarkT]

A tad more than I'd want him to be paid, but I'm fine with it. His cap hit shouldn't be a major issue going forward unless his play falls off a cliff, and like others have said there's a quite good chance he gets taken by Seattle, so the risk is limited.

 

[Richard88]

A tad more than I'd want him to be paid, but I'm fine with it. His cap hit shouldn't be a major issue going forward unless his play falls off a cliff, and like others have said there's a quite good chance he gets taken by Seattle, so the risk is limited.

If he gets taken by Seattle only $2.5m of his $9.5m will get paid by the Avs as well. Could turn out to be a shrewd contract structure by Sakic.