Yesterday, PP colleague Caleb DiNatale called my attention to a comment made by defenseman Ryan Graves in an article by Seth Rorabaugh on the Tribune Review.
In discussing his play last season, the 29-year-old blueliner remarked, “The media loves a negative story line. If you read the story lines, you’d think I had played bad every night. That’s not the case.”
Most observers agreed that Graves, our marquee free-agent signing from a year ago, endured a disappointing first season in the ‘Burgh. Coming off a strong 2022-23 campaign for the Devils (eight goals, 26 points, plus-34), he was expected to fill a top-four slot next to Kris Letang or fellow newcomer high-profile Erik Karlsson.