In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson looked at five NHL players who have the potential to be bought out this off-season. Among the players who Richardson discussed was Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves.
“The Penguins have $37.9 million in salary-cap space for next season. Buying out Graves would only save them $1.2 million annually for the next two seasons, dropping to $944,444 in the third year. However, they could do it if they cannot find a club willing to take him off their hands,” Richardson wrote.
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When noting that Graves has had trouble finding his fit since joining the Penguins, it would not be particularly surprising if the Metropolitan Division club bought him out this off-season. This is especially so when noting that the 6-foot-5 defenseman even spent time in the AHL this season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
If the Penguins do not view Graves as a bounce-back candidate heading into the off-season, they could end up buying out the 2013 fourth-round pick. Trading him would be very difficult, as he has a $4.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season. That is an expensive cap hit and a good amount of term for a player who struggled to stay in the NHL this season.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens with Graves this off-season. With the Penguins having plenty of cap space, the possibility of them giving him another chance next season should not be ruled out. However, it would also be understandable if they moved on from the veteran blueliner.
In 22 games this season with Pittsburgh, Graves scored one goal and had a minus-3 rating. In 15 AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he posted three goals and 10 points.
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