Thu, Jul 15, 2021 at 6:01pm

RYAN GRAVES GOES TO NEW JERSEY

The New Jersey Devils acquired defenseman Ryan Graves from the Colorado Avalanche for forward Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round draft pick in 2021.

What does it give the New Jersey Devils
In Graves, the Devils add a badly-needed defender who can play a shutdown role and eat up hard minutes. He should play on one of the top two pairings in New Jersey. He is a solid addition.

What does it give the Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche may have lost Graves for nothing in the upcoming expansion draft, so they did the next-best thing: trade him for something. Getting Maltsev and a second in '21 is good; now they must replace Graves.

Fantasy impact
Graves will likely take on even greater defensive responsibilities with the Devils, and he is moving from an offensive juggernaut to a rebuilding squad. So, his fantasy value has taken a big hit here. As for Maltsev, he could become useful to Colorado but his role is currently undefined. His fantasy impact will likely be minimal in Colorado.

Player focus

New Jersey Devils

Ryan Graves D

Colorado Avalanche

Mikhail Maltsev C/LW

a second-round draft pick in 2021