$27 Million Defenseman Hits Waivers After Disaster Season in Pittsburgh

The 2024/25 campaign wasn't a good one for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and with very little hope for the upcoming season, this is a team that's clearly begun their descent towards a rebuild.

This off-season, they were expected to move many veterans to open up spots for their prospects, but to this point in time, they haven't done that, with the new campaign expected to be a year for the youth.

However, they began the process of moving some veterans on Saturday, with the social media team officially announcing that veteran blue liner Ryan Graves will be placed on waivers later today for the purpose of re-assignment to the AHL.

This comes two years after he signed a six-year, $27 million deal with the Penguins in free agency, with the 30-year old posting just one goal and four points a season ago in 61 games as the team struggled mightily.

At this point in time, it appears to have been a major mistake for the Penguins to pick up the former Avalanche blue liner, and given the fact that he's owed $4.5 million a season between now and the end of the 2028/29 season, it's highly unlikely that he'll be claimed.

Ultimately though, this was the right move for Pittsburgh, as Graves has struggled mightily since arriving, and with young names on the blue line like Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke fighting for spots, this gives them another opportunity to make a push for the opening night roster.