BIG Upgrade: Graves-Letang Pairing Makes ‘Huge’ Penguins Difference (+)

CRANBERRY — It was, to be sure, only one practice, and on the first day of the Pittsburgh Penguins training camp, at that.

Still, it shouldn’t be surprising that Ryan Graves made a quick impression, considering that he checks in at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds.

He certainly did that in a favorable way Thursday when he was paired with Kris Letang for drills and a scrimmage at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

“He’s huge,” Letang said. “I didn’t know he was that big, to be honest. He has a great stick, and he moves well. It’s good.”

Although the partnership between Graves, who signed as a free agent from New Jersey in July, and Letang is new, Graves is accustomed to working alongside a guy with considerable offensive ability.