Tyler Myers had a preference to remain with the Vancouver Canucks, but then a trade carrot was dangled.
The towering blueliner could easily stay put, but being asked to waive his no-movement clause as part of a franchise commitment to a rebuild could also provide a chance to win it all to cap his NHL career.
Myers sat out Wednesday instead of facing the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena for what the club called “roster management purposes”. That’s usually a prelude to a trade, once there’s an agreement on destination and club compensation to send the 36-year-old veteran of 18 seasons to a contender.
Myers has one more year remaining on his contract at US$3 million and it reverts to a modified clause with a 12-team no-movement list, so there may be an impetus to move now with more control.
The Canucks are also dead last and have missed the playoffs four of the last five campaigns and that can weigh on anybody. They are committed to adding draft picks and getting younger and eventually better. Does he really want to keep losing?
For Myers, a commitment to the franchise and a city he loves is admirable, but he could also command a reasonable draft pick that plays into the long-term vision here. It would be a win-win scenario.
“Everybody knows how much I love it here,” Myers told Postmedia last month. “There’s no question I want to stay, but I obviously know it’s a business. I honestly don’t know what Jim (Rutherford) and Patrik (Allvin) are thinking.”
Well, now he does. And the chance to win a Stanley Cup is quite the lure, something that he admitted to pondering.
Towering Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers unloads slapshot during first period against the Sabres on Jan. 6 in Buffalo.
“I have thought of that, obviously, and less runway,” admitted Myers, who has another year left on his deal at a very palatable US$3 million. “And there may not be that many more opportunities.”
In four of his six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, the 2010 Calder Trophy winner only experienced a pair of first-round exits. He got to the Western Conference final with the Jets in 2018, a WHL final with the Kelowna Rockets in 2009, and a trio of triumphs with Team Canada — U-18 (2008), world junior (2009) and world championship (2023) — but never The Big One.
The 6-foot-8 Myers would benefit a team needing experience for a second or third pairing. In 61 post-season games, including the thrilling 12-game run to nearly advance to the 2024 Western Conference final, he got that tempting taste of being closer to the ultimate goal.
Imagine what it would mean for Myers to have a new adventure and crown his career in the most fitting fashion by having his name engraved on hockey’s Holy Grail? He’s certainly ready for the challenge.
Myers got a leg up on the condensed schedule to allow NHL participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics. He did advanced blood work to check a vast number of body functions from basic metabolic measures to tests for hundreds of different markers, including electrolytes, glucose, liver and kidney function, and inflammation.
Myers has missed just 20 games the last four NHL seasons — 14 to injury and six to suspensions — and knowing how to use his towering frame is imperative. Being physical and positionally sound without getting into awkward confrontations comes with preparation and experience.
MORE TO COME …