When the Avalanche traded Chris Bigras last season to the New York Rangers, they said goodbye to a defenseman that, at one time, was considered a potential core piece of their future. The Rangers said goodbye to their own version of Bigras – Ryan Graves.
On a Tuesday night when the Avs got blown out 5-1 in their preseason opener at the Pepsi Center, Graves was one of the few who earned some praise afterward from coach Jared Bednar. Graves scored the Avs’ only goal and played a pretty responsible game defensively. If the Avs had a first star of the night, the 23-year-old from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia was probably it.
“I’ve been to a few NHL camps now, but it was my first one for Colorado, so it was kind of butterflies all over again,” Graves said. “It felt good. It takes a little while to get into it, and you try to keep it kind of stupid simple at the start. But as time goes on, it was fun to get back into a game.”
Graves was drafted in the fourth round, 113th overall, by the Rangers in 2013. A 6-4, 220-pound lefty D-man, Graves was supposed to be part of the Rangers for years, but he never made it past the American Hockey League level with the Hartford Wolf Pack. After nearly three seasons in Hartford, the Rangers dealt him to the Avs for the second-round draft pick Bigras, and he finished out the season playing in San Antonio, going a minus-5 in 21 games.
“I’m still only 23. A lot of guys come out of college at 23 or 24,” Graves said. “I’m going into my fourth year pro. Would I like to be in the NHL by now? Of course. It takes time and it takes development, and I’ll be honest with myself; I need to keep working on my game.”
For Graves, working on his skating and puck management remains his focus. He may still be young at 23, but he’s competing against guys who are only 18 in some cases.
“I think for me, it’s always been the same thing: speed, speed, speed,” he said. “The game is speed now. Being a big guy, speed isn’t always something that comes natural to big guys. I’m happy with how my footwork is, but I’m still working on it, still getting better.”
Bednar praised Graves for the big shot he displayed, one of which led to his goal.
On a night when not much went right for the Avs, Graves at least could exit the Pepsi Center with his head held high.
