Colorado Avalanche Trade Ryan Graves to New Jersey Devils

Just ahead of having to submit their NHL Expansion Draft protected list, the Colorado Avalanche have made a trade. The move will send defenseman Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round pick in 2021.

As part of the deal, the Avs get a question answered prior to the expansion draft, but they also clear some cap room, moving and expendable asset and making way to re-sign three key free agents in Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, and Philipp Grubauer. Graves’ $3.17 million cap hit comes off their books.

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We have acquired Mikhail Maltsev and a 2nd round pick.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/szF911QwV9

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 16, 2021

The Devils made the announcement of their acquisition on Thursday evening. No doubt, Graves was a potential expansion draft casualty in Colorado. The team could have decided to protect eight skaters to ensure four of their defensemen were protected, including Graves. Ultimately, the team elected not to do so and will protect Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews.

Graves played 19 minutes per game the past two years for the Avalanche and while he’ll be a useful member of the Devils blue line corps, the Avs were likely settled into the idea that they were going to lose him. The trade signifies they simply wanted to get something instead of letting the Seattle Kraken take him for nothing. When asked about possibly being moved ahead of the draft, Graves said, “I love playing for the Avs. … I love the guys in that room. … Every team is going to lose somebody that’s a good player for them that everyone in that room cares about.”

What the Devils Are Getting in Graves

Graves is a 6’5, 220 lbs defenseman who like to shoot a lot and is only 26 years old. He had 9 goals and 26 points two years ago, but his production dipped to 2 goals and 15 points this past season. He has two years left at $3.167 million on his contract.

The Devils are now likely to protect defensemen Graves, Damon Severson and Jonas Siegenthaler, leaving P.K. Subban ($9 million), Will Butcher ($3.7 million) exposed.

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