New Jersey Devils: Predicting Where Every UFA Lands This Offseason

Ryan Graves
Next Team: Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers aren’t thinking about the offseason. They are currently two wins away from making the franchise’s second trip to the Stanley Cup Final as the unlikely eighth seed. The Panthers weren’t even a lock to make the postseason for most of the year, but they got hot at the right time. Despite the run, the Panthers will have some issues to fix in the offseason. Mainly, they need help on defense.

Aaron Ekblad fell off a cliff this season, and they were reeling from the loss of MacKenzie Weegar. Ryan Graves would make a lot of sense there for the right price. Graves gets a lot of grief just because of the nature of his position. He constantly plays against the other team’s best players.

The Panthers would love to get a player like Graves, who has size and ability on the back end. He shouldn’t be on the top line, but Graves plays well to the point he’s asked. Don’t expect him to be a superstar, but he won’t be paid like one anyway.

Graves could come back to the Devils, but it’s very unlikely. He could be looking for a contender to join, and what better than the Panthers? They don’t have a ton of cap space, but they have enough to sign Graves to a deal.