"He's been unreal": Canucks' Myers has flipped the script on his season
When you watch the Vancouver Canucks play, it’s hard not to notice Tyler Myers on the ice.
That’s not only because he’s tall enough to play small forward on an NBA team, but also because he has a tendency to make flagrant mistakes that are hard to miss.
During the first few games of this season, Myers’ errors were outweighing any positive contributions he was making.
He evoked the wrath of Canucks fans after a couple of terrible giveaways ended up resulting in goals in a loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was also demoted to the third pairing by head coach Rick Tocchet as a result.
Canucks fans were ready to see Myers and his $6 million salary banished from the roster.
However, over the last few weeks, the 33-year-old has flipped the script on his season and is playing some of his best hockey since he joined the Canucks.
“I think he’s been unreal. [In] the last five games, he’s been one of our best players, maybe six games. He’s dialled in. He’s really playing well for us, proud of him,” Tocchet said to the media after the Canucks ninth win of the season on Monday night.
Over the last five games that Tocchet is referencing, Myers has looked much better and the numbers back that premise. The 6-foot-8 defenceman has not been on the ice for a five-on-five goal against during that time period.
He’s also played the second-most five-on-five minutes of any Canucks defenceman during the past five games as he has started to earn back the trust of the coaching staff.
There have been some great offensive plays as well, including what was potentially the most electric moment at Rogers Arena so far this season. In the game against the New York Rangers, he intercepted a pass and scored a beautiful short-handed goal to break a third-period tie.
SHORTHANDED GOAL FOR #57 𤊠pic.twitter.com/PTL6mJGQyk
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 29, 2023
The Canucks lack of right-handed defencemen means that Myers is going to play significant minutes on most nights, and the team can’t afford a liability. While he might still be overpaid with the $6 million contract, his play over the past two weeks has shown that the 33-year-old can be a contributor for a high-level team.
If he can keep up a level that’s even close to how he’s played since turning his game around, the Canucks defence will be that much stronger for it.