Colorado Signs Defenseman Ryan Graves to One-Year Deal

Jul 8, 2019

by Colorado Avalanche @Avalanche / ColoradoAvalanche.com

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has re-signed defenseman Ryan Graves to a one-year contract for the upcoming 2019-20 season.

Graves, 24, recorded five points (3g/2) and a +4 plus/minus rating in 26 games for the Avalanche this past season. The Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, native made his NHL debut on Dec. 27 at Vegas and registered his first NHL goal on Jan. 4 against the New York Rangers. He also suited up in 32 regular-season games for the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles, tallying nine points (2g/7a).

A fourth-round selection (110th overall) of the New York Rangers in the 2013 NHL Draft, Graves was acquired by the Avalanche in a trade on Feb. 26, 2018. He has totaled 77 points (24g/53a) in 260 career AHL games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, San Antonio Rampage and Eagles. As a rookie in 2015-16, Graves led all Hartford defensemen with nine goals and added 12 assists for 21 points, earning a selection to the AHL All-Star Game.

Prior to turning pro, Graves played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2011-2016, totaling 86 points (25g/61a) in 245 games with the Prince Edward Island Rocket, Charlottetown Islanders, Val-d'Or Foreurs and Quebec Remparts. The 6-foot-5, 226-pound blueliner served as an alternate captain with both the Islanders (2013-14) and the Remparts (2014-15) and helped Val-d'Or capture the President's Cup as league champions in 2014.

Graves competed in consecutive Memorial Cup tournaments in 2014 and 2015. At the 2015 tournament, he was tied for second in scoring among defensemen with five points (2g/3a) in five games to earn a spot on the Memorial Cup All-Star team.

by Colorado Avalanche @Avalanche / ColoradoAvalanche.com