Confirmed Trade: [NJD/COL] Ryan Graves for Mikhail Maltsev and 2021 2nd round pick

[Spirits]

Devils fans, get used to hearing "Graves blasts one wide of the net!".

Does he get enough pucks through legs to even hit the boards so this becomes a popular refrain? I agree though, blocked shots or wide of the net and about 12 times a game.

 

[Osakahaus]

If Jones isn’t an upgrade over Graves I’ll realize everything I know in life is a god damn lie.

I really do not like what has happened with Jones over the past few seasons.

 

[Spirits]

I mean, making blanket statements based on 2 games is one of the sillier things you can do

This isn’t just two sample games. You’ll see soon enough unless he changes his game. The guy is a black hole and doesn’t produce points at a rate consummate with his shot attempts. Dumbest player in the NHL. Takes really bad penalties at the worst times too. But he makes up for it by being weak physically and abstaining from contact. Or losing puck battles to much smaller players. Just you wait.

 

[Spirits]

I really do not like what has happened with Jones over the past few seasons.

Homie, I’ll roll with Jones on the hopes he can bounce back well before another season with Graves. He CANNOT be worse than Graves. I’m dying on this hill.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

This isn’t just two sample games. You’ll see soon enough unless he changes his game. The guy is a black hole and doesn’t produce points at a rate consummate with his shot attempts. Dumbest player in the NHL. Takes really bad penalties at the worst times too. But he makes up for it by being weak physically and abstaining from contact. Or losing puck battles to much smaller players. Just you wait.

if I am being honest I don't care if he ever produces a single point

the Devils need defensive DMen that can play the PK and Graves is that.

I get a lot of you Avs fans hate him because he played poorly in your playoff series, but ya'll need to relax. Sounds like some Devils fans with Damon Severson.

 

[TrufleShufle]

This isn’t just two sample games. You’ll see soon enough unless he changes his game. The guy is a black hole and doesn’t produce points at a rate consummate with his shot attempts. Dumbest player in the NHL. Takes really bad penalties at the worst times too. But he makes up for it by being weak physically and abstaining from contact. Or losing puck battles to much smaller players. Just you wait.

I'm starting to think you don't think he's very good.

 

[Spirits]

Lol im so glad Graves got sent to New Jersey. Their fans really deserve him.

So cruel lol. I don’t have Ill will towards the Devils and kinda wish they weren’t the ones getting plagued with Graves.

 

[Osakahaus]

Homie, I’ll roll with Jones on the hopes he can bounce back well before another season with Graves. He CANNOT be worse than Graves. I’m dying on this hill.

and its your opinion, which i do respect. I absolutely understand why Jones is good, but if he doesn't change from his horrible Columbus performances, then it's a dud for the Avalanche

 

[PAZ]

But with him in the position of being your #1 PKer and picking up the minutes for EJ and/or Byram you were the best team in the league.

Him filling those roles didn't seem to hurt your team - In fact Colorado was the 8th best PK% Unit in the League and Graves was your #1 Penalty Killer. That actually sounds like a significant loss to me.

Graves was our #1 penalty killer - he's willing to block shots, is a big body/stick that helps disrupt passing lanes, and can skate well. It is a loss in that sense. It's not insignificant, but it's also not that big a deal and losing Graves was an eventuality with the expansion draft and flat cap. He also wasn't the sole reason the Avs PK was 8th best in the league - yes he contributed to it but we aren't going to go from 8th t0 20th just because we lost Graves. End of the day, it's a win-win.

From an Avs POV, it's an excellent return for a player we needed to move on from anyways. With Byram needing more minutes, we can move on from Graves, replace him with a #5/6 that can PK for cheaper, and use the cap-savings on other areas of the team

 

[Spirits]

if I am being honest I don't care if he ever produces a single point

the Devils need defensive DMen that can play the PK and Graves is that.

I get a lot of you Avs fans hate him because he played poorly in your playoff series, but ya'll need to relax. Sounds like some Devils fans with Damon Severson.

Stop. It isn’t the one series. Go read my posts dating back to the fall of 2019. He has never been good. He hasn’t changed his game one iota since then, still dumber than hammered shit. I’m glad he is gone, wish he went to a team I hated instead of the Devils. If he works out for you guys I’ll be glad, just don’t hold your breath.

 

[Spirits]

I'm starting to think you don't think he's very good.

Imagine how hard it is to hate a player on your team this much? You think I enjoyed hating this guy for the last two seasons? He doesn’t give you a choice lol.

By the way, if anyone is interested in the Disney version of how great Graves is, head to the Avalanche boards and read the posts by people that have apparently never watched him play. We have 2-3 people that still think he is good.

 

[Oblivion Beckons]

I mean, making blanket statements based on 2 games is one of the sillier things you can do

Graves with his crappy shot from the point and pinching that ends up leading to breakaways is a pretty regular occurrence. The resentment towards Graves has existed long before the Vegas series. Graves does stuff well but when he is in the offensive zone, yikes.

 

[Joe Sakic]

Just browsing Hockey Reference

I see Graves was 2nd on the Avalanche in hits
1st in blocked shots
3rd Dman in Takeaways
4th Dman in ATOI
4th Dman in Points - With all of his points coming at Even Strength.

EDIT: He was also Colorado's #1 PKer in time on Ice.

He was 2nd in Dman Playoff scoring with 6 points and 5 of them coming at Even Strength and the highest +/- Dman in the playoffs...I know how out of fashion +/- is but relative to his teammates it gives me some information go on.


Now I will admit that I am not intimately familiar with his game, that's why I am looking at at Hockey Reference...But I did watch the Avalache in the playoffs this season.

The narratives I am reading on this thread don't seem match the stat sheet?

Welcome to dealing with Avs fans on this board old friend. If a player isn’t a top-6 scoring forward or top-4 offensive defenseman they’re the worst player in the world.

 

[justHypnos]

Imagine how hard it is to hate a player on your team this much? You think I enjoyed hating this guy for the last two seasons? He doesn’t give you a choice lol.

By the way, if anyone is interested in the Disney version of how great Graves is, head to the Avalanche boards and read the posts by people that have apparently never watched him play. We have 2-3 people that still think he is good.

Fans always hate defensive defensemen unless they're really young, really cheap, get a lot of media attention, or are among the best of the league. Graves is none of those things.

I'd order another one personally. Right handed!

 

[Avs44]

if I am being honest I don't care if he ever produces a single point

the Devils need defensive DMen that can play the PK and Graves is that.

I get a lot of you Avs fans hate him because he played poorly in your playoff series, but ya'll need to relax. Sounds like some Devils fans with Damon Severson.

He didn’t even play poorly in the playoffs….he was really good vs the Blues. Just a few bad moments in the Vegas series that have stuck in everyone’s mind.

 

[Belgican]

I mean, making blanket statements based on 2 games is one of the sillier things you can do

If it were these 2 games only …

 

[Flyer lurker]

You should watch Graves play before you make this declaration. The guy is a out of his element in any top 4 role.

Clearly the New Jersey Devils should watch Graves like you.

And clearly since Colorado thought Seattle was going to take Graves, then Seattle should watch Graves as much as you as well.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Look, I don't think any Devils fans is under the impression that we are getting some underrated stud here...but if he can play 19-20 minutes a night and kill penalties, that is all I really care about. Plus we have a couple of behemoth LHD coming up through the system that he may be able to help out, as well.

Plus, we still have picks 4, 28, and 68 so its not like it they blew all their draft capital on this guy

 

[AslanRH]

Homie, I’ll roll with Jones on the hopes he can bounce back well before another season with Graves. He CANNOT be worse than Graves. I’m dying on this hill.

but he could be $$s to donuts worse.

 

[Spirits]

Fans always hate defensive defensemen unless they're really young, really cheap, get a lot of media attention, or are among the best of the league. Graves is none of those things.

I'd order another one personally. Right handed!

Especially ones that can’t play responsible defense like Graves.

 

[Spirits]

Clearly the New Jersey Devils should watch Graves like you.

And clearly since Colorado thought Seattle was going to take Graves, then Seattle should watch Graves as much as you as well.

It is obvious you haven’t watched him a whole lot.

 

[Kendo]

I would have loved for NYR to get Graves back. Affordable for two years, and you can just staple him to the 3rd pair.

I don't understand the hate on this guy. As long as you don't expect him to be more than he is, he's just fine on that 3rd pair/PK.

NJD got a good pickup while they develop the rest of their younger D core.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

This is the Kerfoot situation all over again. Just wait. You guys will see.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

if I am being honest I don't care if he ever produces a single point

the Devils need defensive DMen that can play the PK and Graves is that.

I get a lot of you Avs fans hate him because he played poorly in your playoff series, but ya'll need to relax. Sounds like some Devils fans with Damon Severson.

Defensive Dmen? This guy was trying to take shots into shin pads over Mackinnon and Makar. Good on the PK? More like carried by Nichuskin/Jost, this guy was the culprit for endless turnovers on the PK.

This isn't unwarranted hate, this is multiple important games blown in multiple seasons making the same mistakes over and over. It would be different if he was a defensive Dman and he knew he was only there for using his size or for the PK, but he doesn't use his size and he thinks he's Bobby Orr.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Defensive Dmen? This guy was trying to take shots into shin pads over Mackinnon and Makar. Good on the PK? More like carried by Nichuskin/Jost, this guy was the culprit for endless turnovers on the PK.

This isn't unwarranted hate, this is multiple important games blown in multiple seasons making the same mistakes over and over. It would be different if he was a defensive Dman and he knew he was only there for using his size or for the PK, but he doesn't use his size and he thinks he's Bobby Orr.

I mean this thread kind of debunks a lot of that:



like I said, we don't need him to be some top pairing 25 minute/game stud.