The New York Rangers have a plethora of defensemen waiting in the ranks now, but one is more ready for the big time than the rest.

The biggest need the New York Rangers have is on defense. Management has spent assets and draft picks filling the prospect pool with defensemen, and now one of those late round selections has a chance at the NHL. Next season, the Rangers should make room to employ the young Ryan Graves.

Ryan Graves has traveled a long, hard road to the NHL, and has seemingly defied the odds to get to where he is now. The 6’4, 220lb defenseman was selected in the 4th round, 110th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft, and at the time, was not on the NHL radar for most of his junior career.

The impression of Graves changed entirely during his season with the Quebec Remparts in 2014-15. After recording a career high season of 22 points, split between Charlottetown and Val d’Or of the QMJHL, Graves scored 15 goals and 39 points in just 54 games with Quebec.

The most noticeable differences in his game were his skating and his usage on the power play. Once a big player with questionable skating, his stride improved significantly that year, adding considerably more mobility to his skill set.

His large stature was also beneficial to the improvement of his slap shot. Once he began getting regular power play time, Graves began using his booming shot more frequently. This led to his career high in goals scored during that season.

Graves In The AHL

In his first AHL season, the transition appeared seamless. His skating continued to improve, and he put his shot on display often, garnering a lot of attention among AHL fans. He made it to the AHL All Star Game as a rookie, recording a 103.4 MPH shot in the Skills Competition.

That year, Graves scored nine goals and added 12 assists for 21 points in 74 games. His stats improved in 2016-17, scoring eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 78 games. During these seasons, he improved in every facet: offense, defense, skating; you name it, he got better at it.

This enormous improvement in his game is what makes him so NHL ready now, at age 22. Not many players defy the odds like this, and the ones that do do so because of dedication and hard work. Once seen as a nothing draft pick, Graves has risen to the forefront of the Rangers prospect pool.

If the Rangers wish to improve their defense, especially through home grown talent, Graves should be the first to get the nod. He has proven at the AHL level that he has what it takes to succeed, and the Rangers have a need. A big man with a heavy shot on the back end may just be part of the revision the team so desperately needs.