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Rumour: Toronto Maple Leafs Interested In UFA Tyler Myers

By Alan Downward

WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 14: Tyler Myers #57 of the Winnipeg Jets plays the puck down the ice during third period action against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 14, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 3-1 to tie the series 1-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MAY 14: Tyler Myers #57 of the Winnipeg Jets plays the puck down the ice during third period action against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the Western Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on May 14, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Knights defeated the Jets 3-1 to tie the series 1-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Trade rumours linking Tyler Myers to the Toronto Maple Leafs have been swirling since July 2018.

Namely, beginning when theScore published an article stating why a Gardiner-for-Myers trade would make sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. 

More recently, Eklund from hockeybuzz.com linked Myers to the Leafs.

Could he be a fit?

It seems like a Myers has been a player linked to the Leafs forever.

Pros: Tyler Myers and the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs could see their D-core falter if Jake Gardiner’s tenure with the team comes to an end. Myers is a sturdy right-handed defenseman, which would hypothetically be hitting two birds with one stone.

Nikita Zaitsev is currently the Leafs only true right-handed defenseman.

Myers  has been known to block his fair share of shots, sitting at 904 in his career. Furthermore, his physicality and 6’8″ frame would be a presence on the ice, and on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster.

Myers signed a 7-year, $38.5 million contract in 2011, which has since expired this season. He is a top 4 defenseman expecting a deal that matches his role and production. He may be due for a pay raise, as long as his injury history doesn’t come back to bite him. In either case, his next contract will be marginal compared to Jake Gardiner’s.

Myers isn’t the only player who will be giving the Jets head office a headache. Winnipeg has 15 players playing on expiring contracts, and only have $28 million to fill at least 8 roster spots. Renewing Myers’ contract would likely eat up $6 million per year – but has the potential to be less considering his injury history. He missed 71 games in 2016-17 because of a hip injury that required surgery.

Cons: Tyler Myers and the Toronto Maple Leafs

Embracing Tyler Myers would mean placing him in a top-4 RHD role, alongside Morgan Rielly (moving Ron Hainsey to the second pairing), or Jake Muzzin. This is in the case of Jake Gardiner leaving, which is a possibility, not a guarantee. I use Gardiner as my primary example because retaining him and signing Myers is very unlikely, given Toronto’s cap situation.

Gardiner has better offensive career stats, and his positive CF% rating of 51.0 means the Leafs control the puck more often when Jake is on the ice. Myers career stats are decent, posting 265 points in 635 games. However, Tyler Myers has a negative career CF% of 48.1 which is below 50%, meaning his team does not control the puck more often than their opponents when he is on the ice.

Obviously, signing Tyler Myers will be in the event the Toronto Maple Leafs lose a player. (info from capfriendly.com)

dark. Next. Leafs Top Ten Prospects

A likely scenario would equate to not signing Gardiner and replacing him with Myers. This would be a slight downgrade for Toronto, but would cost them less money if Gardiner’s ask is above the $6-$6.5 million range.

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