was reluctant to part with Graves, but felt that obtaining Detroit-area native Carson was worth it. The trade paid immediate dividends for the Oilers, as Klima finished with 30 goals, while Graves and Murphy provided depth up front. Graves would go on to score 11 points in the playoffs, en route to defeating the Boston Bruins for the Edmonton Oilers' fifth Stanley Cup. "It was such an excellent team atmosphere," said Graves of his brief stint with the Oilers. "We were together as any group of guys in the league. Everyone felt that they were a part of the team- no one felt left out. Because of that, even if you had a small role on the team, you were happy. You were glad to be able to give whatever little you could to the team. You did everything you could. I have many wonderful memories in my two years with the Oilers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the team." But Graves spent only two seasons with the Oilers before they allowed him to leave as a free agent at the conclusion of the 1990–91 campaign. He signed an offer sheet for five years and $2.44 million with the New York Rangers, where he would join former Edmonton Oilers teammates Mark Messier and Jeff Beukeboom. Neil Smith, the general manager of the Rangers, was familiar with Graves, having earlier served as the Red Wings' director of scouting. In 1991-92, Graves' first season with the Rangers, he scored 26 goals, helping the team to a 105-point, Presidents' Trophy-winning regular season that was punctuated by a major disappointment in the playoffs. Graves finished fifth in the voting for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the league. Graves performance was marred by an ugly incident in Game 2 of the Patrick Division finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he fractured the left wrist of superstar Mario Lemieux with a vicious two-handed swing of his stick. Lemieux was adamant that Rangers head coach Roger Neilson had "engineered a hit" that sidelined him for five games. "It was intentional, no question about it," Lemieux said of the incident during the Stanley Cup finals that season. "I've never been hit that hard in my life. I'm not saying Roger Neilson told Graves to go after me, but he told his players to go after me." Graves was assessed only a