Before training camp gets underway for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a few familiar faces are in Toronto as part of the BioSteel NHL Camp.
Among the Penguins in attendance at the camp are captain Sidney Crosby, blue liner P.O. Joseph, and newcomer defenseman Ryan Graves.
Around the NHL, talents like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, John Tavares, and first overall pick Connor Bedard are also taking part.
Graves hopped on an interview with the NHL Network and while talking about the camp, shed some light on how it feels to join the Penguins.
“When you’re going through it, it’s a nerve racking time,” Graves said about his process in free agency. “You don’t know who’s going to be interested.”
On the opening day of free agency, Gaves signed a six-year deal set to earn him $4.5 million annually.
Graves is stepping into a Penguins’ locker room that is aging, but is still loaded up on talent.
“It’s a veteran group that believes they can still win,” Graves said. “I know they’re not happy with how things went last year. Sometimes that can make you a little bit more hungry.”
Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and now Erik Karlsson will help carry the Penguins as they look to get back into the fight for the Stanley Cup.
Graves says he’s excited to get to Pittsburgh and get things started in preparation for the season.
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