Tyler Graovac, 24, was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the 7th round (191st overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Graovac registered 7 goals and 2 assists in 57 career NHL games, all during the 2016-2017 season with the Wild.
The Wild waived the 6′-4″ Graovac earlier in the 2016-2017 season, but he would go unclaimed. Ultimately he returned to the Wild organization where he was re-assigned to the Iowa Wild.
Boudreau said Matt Dumba is probably out tomorrow. Also said defensive zone draws sealed Graovac’s fate #mnwild
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) February 13, 2017
On June 14, 2017, Graovac was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The move was at least partially made by the Capitals to provide some protection for centerman Lars Eller in advance of the Las Vegas expansion draft. (more here.)
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Expectations
Although Graovac’s tenure in Minnesota did not end well, he is still relatively young in his development process and has shown signs of enhancing his game in the coming years. Having said that, it’s likely Graovac will begin his organizational stint with the Capitals as a center in Hershey this fall.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold for Graovac. He made the Wild’s opening night roster last fall, but an injury on opening night left him as a scratch for several months before he was able to make it back to the team.
Fast Facts
- Graovac hails from Brampton, Ontario
- He was named OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2013
- On April 2, 2013, the Wild signed Graovac to a three-year, two-way entry-level contract worth $750,000.
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