Graves signed a six-year, $27 million contract with Pittsburgh on July 1st.
"It's a stressful time, to say the least."
During his end-of-season media availability, New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves stood at his locker stall and provided his thoughts on his upcoming free agent status.
"You never know. I loved my time here (in New Jersey). It was great," he said. "This team's going to be good. I mean, you never know what free agency is going to bring. There is a business side of things, and I understand that."
A few weeks later, he saw the Devils part ways with defenseman Damon Severson who they traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. That led some to believe Graves would return. Still, during his own media availability, New Jersey's general manager Tom Fitzgerald said his remaining unrestricted free agents, including Graves, would hit the free agency market on July 1.
This marked the first time in the Yarmouth native's career he would experience free agency. In 2018, he was traded by the New York Rangers to the Colorado Avalanche, and in 2021, the Devils acquired him from the Avalanche.
A few hours into free agency, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Graves was signing a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. A few weeks later, he addressed Pittsburgh's media for the first time and spoke about his free agency experience.
"You're deciding your future in less than a day, and it's crazy to think that, but that's kind of what it is," he said to reporters.
"Going into it, you have ideas of what teams are going to be interested given who has holes in their lineup and where you think you may fit and things like that," he continued. "You have a few teams that are on your radar, and you do some research on the towns, the teams, and where you would fit and things like that."
At certain points last season, Graves was considered one of the best defensemen in the league, with a plus-minus of +34, fifth-best among blueliners, and 152 blocked shots. It was no surprise to hear the ex-Devil was on Pittsburgh's radar.
"He's one of the younger players in free agency and obviously played a massive role in New Jersey," said Penguins' general manager Kyle Dubas. "(He) faced very difficult matchups there. I've had a chance to see him there and then also in Colorado. Very impressed with him, and I think he compliments what we have on our right side very well."
The 28-year-old had a few teams interested in him, but the Penguins were an organization that stood above the rest.
"I think (the Penguins) were always the front-runner," Graves said. "They seemed interested (and) it was mutual on both sides. Once talks progressed, they were at the front of everything, and I'm glad we were able to hammer something out."
"You go into free agency, and it is stressful. You don't know who's going to be interested, but when there's mutual interest from both sides, it's honestly exciting for me. I wanted to go to a team that was in contention, and I believe the Penguins are a team that will contend for years to come."
Graves will have familiarity with plenty of his new teammates, including ex-Devils Ty Smith and Andreas Johnsson, who were both recently signed. Additionally, he shared that he has previously trained with Sidney Crosby in the summer.
When speaking about what attracted him to Pittsburgh, he brought up the opportunity of playing alongside Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
"They're legends who are still really good hockey players even though they're getting a little bit older now, so I'm really excited to join a group like that."
He made it a point to discuss the importance of being on an Eastern Conference team, citing the time change and being closer to his family.
"There were a lot of things that really checked boxes with Pittsburgh, and I think it's a really good fit. (The Penguins) put an end to a stressful day in a really positive way for me."
Graves will return to Prudential Center to face his former team on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.