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DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche sent veteran defenseman Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night as part of the Seattle Kraken’s upcoming expansion draft.
In exchange, the Avalanche acquired forward Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round selection this year from New Jersey.
By trading Graves, with Avalanche defender Erik Johnson agreeing to waive his no-move clause, the team can protect defenders Devon Toews, Cale Makar and Samuel Girard. The Devils have plenty of room to protect Graves.
The protected lists are expected on Saturday and the extension project is on Wednesday.
Graves, 26, had two goals and 13 assists in 54 games with the Avalanche last season. He led the team in blocked shots with 91 and was second in hits with 77.
He has been reliable on the Colorado blue line since his acquisition on February 26, 2018 from the New York Rangers. His plus-40 rating in 2019-20 led the league, the first time an Avalanche player has accomplished the feat since Milan Hejduk and Peter Forsberg (plus-52) in 2002-03.
Graves will bolster a Devils defense that was average last season. The main cogs are Ty Smith, Damon Severson and PK Subban. Will Butcher has spent much of the year in the doghouse.
“Ryan brings physique, size, an ability to defend himself in difficult situations and a fearless level of competition that makes him difficult to face,” Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in a statement. “His assertive style of play and his ability to play with young defenders are characteristics that match what we are building with our squad. “
Colorado picks up another scoring threat to join the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Maltsev, 23, had nine points and three assists in 33 games during his rookie season. He played his first NHL game on January 31, 2021 in Buffalo.
Maltsev, 6-3, 198 pounds, was a fourth-round draft pick for the Devils in 2016. He also played in Russia, where he had one goal and seven assists in 35 career Continental League games. hockey team with SKA St. Petersburg.
Colorado has several important players who are free agents, including captain Gabriel Landeskog and goaltender Philipp Grubauer. There are also forwards Brandon Saad, Matt Calvert, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Carl Soderberg, goalkeeper Devan Dubnyk and defender Patrik Nemeth.
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