The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Ryan Graves not just as an improvement on defense.
As soon as free agency opened, Kyle Dubas made a series of moves with the goal of improving the Pittsburgh Penguins’ depth in all positions. One of the biggest moves he made was signing defenseman Ryan Graves to a six year contract. It was the longest contract given out by Dubas, indicating just how highly they value their newest defender.
It’s a move that not only strengthens the team, but is a clear investment in extending the value and career of their number one defenseman, Kris Letang. Graves is the perfect compliment to Letang, and it’s worth diving deeper to see just what makes that so.
Reading The Play
One of Graves’ best traits is his ability to read the play near the blue lines. He seems to always make the right choice at the right time. When the game calls for a pinch from the defender, he’s ready to activate. If the puck moves out of the zone, he has the mobility and ranginess to be the first one back to defend. Let’s take a look at a highlight from this past season that display this perfectly.
This play is from Graves’ 300th game last season.
The play begins with the puck leaving the New Jersey Devil’s offensive zone. Showing great awareness, Graves peels off and retreats. his long strides quickly bringing him to a defensive position in the neutral zone. This allows him to make a play on the puck, showing off his incredibly long reach and keeping it from advancing past the halfway line. Once his team regains possession, Graves identifies a soft spot in coverage and takes advantage, jumping back into the offensive rush. His teammate finds him for an open shot, which he buries with confidence.
The Penguins often looked timid near the blue lines. Brian Dumoulin specifically struggled with plays around the blue line, maintaining possession, and was not a threat with the puck. Graves is the complete opposite, and it will compliment Letang's game perfectly.
Versatility
Graves is the definition of a two-way defender. He's not your first power play quarterback, but he can absolutely be a second unit contributor. He has three 25+ point seasons and has an underrated scoring touch.
On defense, Graves is as solid as can be. When you think of the top defensive players in the game, he might not be mentioned during the first wave, but he is consistently an above average defender. He was a +34 on a very strong New Jersey Devils team last season and ate pucks along the way, with 152 blocked shots. He’s smart, mobile, and contributes in every part of the game. When Letang takes risks, Graves can back him up. When the offense possesses the puck, you can count on Graves to make smart passes, hold the zone, and blast a point shot on the net.
In the play, you'll see Graves' heads-up style on full display, combined with a flair of offensive touch.
As the Devils are keeping possession, the New Jersey forwards are stretched thin and the play is close to breaking down. Graves pinches at the right time, giving the forward with the puck a sneaky drop pass option. He then takes the feed, identifies the open space, and takes the puck to the net with authority. To top the play off, he makes a nifty move to the backhand and beats the Chicago goaltender to extend his team's lead. It's a level of skill, awareness, and opportunism without endangering his team that will benefit the Penguins and Letang greatly.
Pushback
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been bullied over the past few seasons, especially their top trio of stars. While trying to maintain the speed element to their game, they've sacrificed physicality and often are pushed around on the ice. It seems Dubas' signings across the board are aimed at improving the strength and physicality of the team, and Graves is no exception.
Graves is not a bruising defender, and if you are expecting a heavy hitter in the mold of Scott Stevens, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. In five seasons in the NHL, he only has one season with more than 100 hits. That doesn’t mean he is a pushover, however. He uses his size to box out opposing forwards well, and he has an incredibly long reach that can disrupt passes and clear the puck.
If he’s pressed to it, Graves doesn’t shy away from the physicality. In this past postseason's first round, he and New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider went at it all series. Going back further, this willingness to engage is consistent in his game.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnrmHieXkhE[/embed]
After his defensive partner, Sam Girard, takes a bump, Graves doesn’t hesitate to drop the gloves. It’s a mindset that will come in handy as his new defensive partner, Kris Letang, loves to take high risks. Both Graves’ willingness to mix it up and provide stout defense will be a welcome addition to the Penguins’ top pairing.
The Penguins received a huge dose of skill, versatility, and fresh blood when they signed Graves to one of the longest free agent contracts in team history. He brings a skillset and consistency to the left side of the defense that has been missing over the last few years. With the Penguins now providing an adequate partner for Letang, it's clear that Dubas is investing in both improving the team and extending the career and production of the best defender in team history.
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