Overview
- Teams have a 24-hour window to claim the 30-year-old defenseman, after which Pittsburgh can assign him to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he goes unclaimed.
- Graves is in year two of a six-year contract with a $4.5 million cap hit and three seasons remaining after this one, a commitment viewed as a key hurdle to any waiver claim.
- He has appeared in 17 NHL games this season in a limited role, posting one goal, 31 blocked shots and averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time, and he logged 1 goal and 6 assists in 10 AHL games.
- Graves previously cleared waivers out of training camp and started the season in the AHL before an early November recall to Pittsburgh.
- Pittsburgh acquired Chinakhov from Columbus for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and Danton Heinen, with the 24-year-old winger carrying three goals and six points in 29 games this season.