Many other Canucks fans wouldn't because Graves is complete dog shit.
I mean, it's possible. The majority of his career, that's been true. But i still think he's been a victim of circumstances who has actually grown as a player. And is also exactly the sort of Zaddy-esque defenceman, or Myers type who actually seems to really thrive under this current Canucks coaching staff.
I still stand by the idea that the problem with Graves in Pittsburgh isn't so much him specifically...it's that he is a piss poor fit with either of their top two aggressive offensive-minded RHD.
The contract is obviously an enormous risk though. But it runs the same length as Hoglander's extension. Which is less "risky" but does still carry some potential liability if, like Graves...he can't find the right "fit" in a roster.
If you take out the clear shooting% outlier, Tomasino and Hoglander have very similar pedigree and production. Hoglander will be worth more, obviously, given that he had that outlier, but in terms of true talent and ability I think these guys are extremely comparable.
Ehhh...I think there are a lot of pretty clear differences that separate Hoggy and Tomato. Prime among them, is that Hoglander has never really lacked for "effort" and "try". He just sometimes tries hard at the wrong thing. They're really only kind of superficially similar.
