When Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves entered training camp in September, he was looking for a chance to prove himself to a new organization. He was acquired by the Avs in February in a one-for-one deal that sent Chris Bigras to the New York Rangers but didn’t get a chance to make an impact.
This season he wanted to show Colorado that he was worth trading for, and the favorable impression Graves made in the preseason earned him a recall opportunity when blueliner Nikita Zadorov went down with a lower-body injury.
The 6-foot-5, 226-pound native of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, made his NHL debut on Dec.