Ryan Graves

Ryan Graves (born May 21, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round, 110th overall, of the 2013 NHL entry draft. Graves has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils.

Early life Graves was born on May 21, 1995, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, to Ron Graves and Monica Brennan. He grew up as a childhood friend of fellow Nova Scotian Nathan MacKinnon, and the two often faced each other in local youth hockey games while also playing together on regional teams.

In his early years, Graves developed a reputation in the Nova Scotia youth hockey circuit for clumsiness, largely due to his comparatively tall frame. Despite this, his strength and shot-blocking ability earned praise from coaches in the Yarmouth County Minor Hockey Association.

During the 2010–11 minor ice hockey season, Graves played for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs, where he scored five goals and added seven assists. He was named the team's top rookie and received the Scott Dee Memorial Award as the best rookie defenceman in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. That same year, he also made a single appearance with the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. As a rookie during the 2011–12 season, he recorded two goals and seven assists for nine points, along with 34 penalty minutes.

Graves later said that he had difficulty adjusting from minor to junior ice hockey as a rookie. By the 2012–13 season, however, he attributed his improved confidence to increased playing time, greater familiarity with the league, and the opportunity to learn from older teammates. He also practiced three times a week with a Newfoundland-based skating coach to address the coordination issues that had followed him since adolescence.

The Rocket were rebranded as the Charlottetown Islanders for the 2013–14 season. Graves registered 12 points in 39 games with Charlottetown before being traded to the Val-d'Or Foreurs for their playoff push. In the postseason, he contributed eight points in 24 games to help the Foreurs capture the President's Cup. On March 17, 2014, his progress was rewarded when he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers. Serving as an assistant captain, he enjoyed a breakout season, recording career highs of 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in just 50 games. He was named to the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup All-Star Team after collecting five points in five games for host club Quebec.

Professional New York Rangers organization (2015–18)

In the 2015–16 season, Graves was assigned to the New York Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He made his professional debut on opening night, October 10, 2015, against the St. John's IceCaps. Thirteen days later, on October 23, he scored his first professional goal and added an assist in a 4–3 win over the Syracuse Crunch. Known as a hulking defenceman with strong mobility, Graves became a fixture on Hartford’s blueline and was selected to represent the club at the 2016 AHL All-Star Game, where he won the hardest shot competition with a slapshot. He finished the season leading Hartford defencemen with nine goals and 21 points in 74 games, though the Wolf Pack failed to qualify for the playoffs.

In the 2016–17 season, Graves continued his development, once again leading Hartford’s defence in scoring with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points. He was also named one of the team’s alternate captains. However, during the final year of his entry-level contract, his production declined. In the 2017–18 season, he recorded just four goals and 11 points in 57 games.

Colorado Avalanche (2018–21) Graves was traded by the New York Rangers to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Chris Bigras at the 2018 trade deadline on February 26, 2018. That season he split time between the Avalanche and their new AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. On July 8, 2019, he was re-signed to another one-year contract.

During the 2019–20 season, Graves emerged as a regular in Colorado’s lineup, primarily playing alongside eventual Calder Memorial Trophy winner Cale Makar. In a top-pairing role, he set career highs in goals and points and led the NHL with a league-best +40 plus–minus rating. On October 12, 2020, the Avalanche signed him to a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension.

In the pandemic-delayed season, Graves played his 100th NHL game on January 22, 2021, in a 3–2 overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks. Used in a top-four role, he became a key part of Colorado’s penalty kill, finishing third in the league in short-handed time on ice. He appeared in 54 of the Avalanche’s 56 regular season games, recording two goals and 15 points.

New Jersey Devils (2021–2023) On July 15, 2021, with the expansion draft approaching, Graves was traded by the Avalanche to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft. In his second season, he appeared in 78 games, scoring eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points. His final assist of the season marked his 100th career NHL point.

Pittsburgh Penguins (2023–present) After completing his contract with the Devils, Graves left the organization as an unrestricted free agent and remained in the Metropolitan Division by signing a six-year, $27 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2023.

In his first season with Pittsburgh, Graves appeared in 70 games, recording three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. On March 29, 2024, he suffered a concussion in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was subsequently placed on long-term injured reserve on April 11 and missed the remainder of the regular season.

In October 2025, the Penguins placed Graves on waivers, and after going unclaimed, he was assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Graves was recalled by Pittsburgh in November 2025.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2010–11 South Shore Mustangs NSMMHL 32 5 7 12 58 5 0 6 6 8 2010–11 Yarmouth Mariners MJAHL 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 2 2011–12 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 62 2 7 9 34 — — — — — 2012–13 P.E.I. Rocket QMJHL 68 3 13 16 90 6 0 0 0 6 2013–14 Charlottetown Islanders QMJHL 39 3 9 12 52 — — — — — 2013–14 Val-d'Or Foreurs QMJHL 26 2 8 10 16 24 1 7 8 24 2014–15 Quebec Remparts QMJHL 50 15 24 39 49 21 5 6 11 25 2015–16 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 74 9 12 21 53 — — — — — 2016–17 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 76 8 22 30 69 — — — — — 2017–18 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 57 4 7 11 66 — — — — — 2017–18 San Antonio Rampage AHL 21 1 5 6 7 — — — — — 2018–19 Colorado Eagles AHL 32 2 7 9 26 — — — — — 2018–19 Colorado Avalanche NHL 26 3 2 5 2 — — — — — 2019–20 Colorado Avalanche NHL 69 9 17 26 45 15 1 2 3 6 2020–21 Colorado Avalanche NHL 54 2 13 15 55 10 1 5 6 10 2021–22 New Jersey Devils NHL 75 6 22 28 24 — — — — — 2022–23 New Jersey Devils NHL 78 8 18 26 28 10 0 1 1 4 2023–24 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 70 3 11 14 30 — — — — — 2024–25 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 61 1 3 4 29 — — — — — 2025–26 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 15 3 7 10 4 — — — — — 2025–26 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 22 1 0 1 10 — — — — —NHL totals 455 33 86 119 223 35 2 8 10 20

International

Awards and honours Award Year NSMMHL Rookie Defenseman Award 2011 CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team 2015 AHL All-Star Game 2016