If it wasn’t the worst day of Ryan Graves’ professional hockey career, it was certainly close.

After two rough seasons in Pittsburgh, including a 2024-25 campaign in which Graves spent 21 games as a healthy scratch, the 30-year-old defenseman found himself at a career crossroads early last month.

One that would ultimately direct him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

“Obviously it’s not ideal,” Graves told the Post-Gazette following Thursday’s practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, talking about the Penguins placing him on waivers on Oct. 4. “But you just take it. You pack a bag, you go and you try and make the best of it.”

Graves has seemingly done that.

In an eyebrow-raising way, too.

The turnaround, much like we’ve seen with Erik Karlsson, raises questions a

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