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Top 8 Defensemen with Term the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade For

By Mike Jack

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Ryan Graves, Toronto Maple Leafs
Feb 1, 2022; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Pierre Engvall (47) skates with the puck past New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves (33) during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Graves from the New Jersey Devils to the Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 26
Height: 6’5
Weight: 220 lbs
Shoots: Left
Cap Hit: $3,166,667 until 2023

Ryan Graves is large and in charge! At 6’5, he’s be tied for largest Leaf with Pierre Engvall (aka The Giraffe).  He knows how to use his size to his advantage.  He doesn’t deliver an exorbitated amount of hits, but enough to be among the top four defensemen in Toronto.

Graves does block a lot of shots, and with 88 on the season, he would lead the Leafs in that category by a mile.

He processes a heavy clapper from the point and some offense upside that would make him the next best point producing defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs after Morgan Rielly.

Though he’s 26 years-old, Ryan Graves comes with a respectable 25 games of NHL Playoff experience with the Colorado Avalanche.

He would’ve been a bit higher on this list if he was a right-shot.  If he was in Toronto, it would be difficult to create a shutdown pair with Muzzin because one of them would have to play on their off side.

I’m also not sure how the New Jersey Devils are going to handle their roster leading up to the trade deadline.  They added to their roster in the offseason as though their rebuild was over but seem nowhere near ready to even compete for a playoff spot.

The Devils may want to keep Graves as a piece of their future, but in my opinion, they may find more value in the picks and prospects they would receive in a trade.  He does only have one season left after this one before he could pursue free agency.

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