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Penguins Options for Ryan Graves, Buyout Costs
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- Penguins Options for Ryan Graves, Buyout Costs
Penguins Options for Ryan Graves, Buyout Costs
The first and only long-term contract given out by Kyle Dubas as Pittsburgh Penguins general manager has been … a disaster.
On July 1, 2023, Dubas handed big defenseman Ryan Graves a six-year deal with a $4.5 million average annual value. In light of recent salary cap spikes, that doesn't seem quite the monster deal that it was during the flat cap years, but it was a hefty payment for the 6-foot-5, 227-pound defender.
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Dubas has otherwise eschewed long deals. After all, even Sidney Crosby only signed for two years.
However, instead of finding a plug-and-play replacement for Brian Dumoulin , Dubas instead found an albatross who will likely replace departed defenseman Jack Johnson at the bottom of the Penguins ' PuckPedia.com buyout list.
The first step was Saturday, when the Penguins announced they were putting Graves on waivers. He will almost assuredly clear, at which point he will be assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
"It was obviously a very tough decision. It's not one that anybody takes lightly. It's a lot of conversations, a lot of thought," said coach Dan Muse. "And you know, right now, it's not just about him, but it's there are also other people competing for spots, too."
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The Penguins' options are not many.
Penguins Trade?
Graves, 28, doesn't have any trade value. With an onerous salary that he has underperformed, accompanied by the league-wide chatter as to why Graves has bottomed out or Dubas saw more than others did, it would cost the Penguins dearly to trade Graves.
If the current trade market value is that a $3.5 million salary for two years costs a second-round pick to expunge, what is $4.5 million for four years worth as a salary dump? Answer: a lot more than Dubas can stomach.
Even next summer, $4.5 million for three more years is an entirely untradeable asset.
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For the Penguins to trade Graves, Dubas would have to see value in a similarly underperforming but overpaid player. Bad contract for bad contract.
Finding an exact match AND a player who wouldn't be akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire would be near impossible.
Graves had some good moments in the preseason. He defended Tage Thompson hard on Wednesday, eventually dumping the 6-foot-7 forward to the ice on Wednesday.
But, there were also too many bad moments and minor penalties, just as he's had over the first two years of the deal.
Likeliest Scenario, Graves Buyout
Teams get one buyout window per year. Just 48 hours after the commissioner, Gary Bettman, awards the Stanley Cup , the window opens for two weeks in which teams can buy out players.
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There could be a second window in August for teams that have a restricted free agent select arbitration, but it's certainly not guaranteed.
The Penguins plan to assign Graves to the WBS Penguins of the AHL. He could earn a call-up if the NHL team suffers injuries to the left side of the defense, but there's also a real chance that he's stuck in Northeastern Pennsylvania for the season.
Should the team wait until next June to enact a buyout, the cap penalty would be shockingly cheap.
Following the scenario of a 2026 buyout, Graves would cost $3.305 million against the cap for the following two seasons, then $3.55 million before the cap penalties kick in for three more years.
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However, the salary cap penalties from 2029-30 through 2031-32 are a paltry $555,556. That's far less than the current league minimum, and given the expected salary cap increases, it's as close to nothing as possible.
It certainly isn't ideal to pay a player over $3.3 million annually for three years to not play for the team, but the penalty is entirely acceptable. The $1.2 million in annual savings could be valuable if the team turns the rebuild corner quickly.
Or, the team could simply bury Graves in the minors for three years, hoping he improves, as the New York Rangers once did with defenseman Wade Redden two years after signing him to a six-year $38 million contract.
Two years after his banishment, the Rangers exercised a no-penalty compliance buyout following the 2012 lockout.
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The Penguins won't get so lucky, which is why a buyout in June 2026 seems most likely.
The post Penguins Options for Ryan Graves, Buyout Costs appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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