Report: Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers drawing trade interest from Toronto Maple Leafs
By Mike Gould
1 year agoThe Toronto Maple Leafs have “some interest” in acquiring Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers, Irfaan Gaffar and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Friday.
Myers, 33, has one goal and 10 points while averaging 20:50 in 49 games with the Canucks this season. He’s under contract through the end of the 2023–24 season at a $6 million annual cap hit; his deal also includes a modified no-trade clause.
The Canucks have two of three slots open available to retain salary for this season, having previously held onto $1.375 million of Bo Horvat’s cap hit while trading him to the New York Islanders earlier this month.
According to Gaffar, the Canucks and Maple Leafs have already talked about Myers this week. Former Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau spoke about Myers on the NHL Network on Friday.
“He’s played some great games. Such a big body, good stick,” Boudreau said. “I think he would help. My biggest worry is his contract ($5M bonus next year). If it was Toronto, if they can afford to get him in there. And there’s a history with Dermott trade.”
The Buffalo Sabres originally selected Myers in the first round (No. 12 overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. The 6’8”, 229-pound right-handed defenceman spent the first six seasons of his NHL career in Buffalo before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 2015; then, in 2019, he then signed a five-year deal with the Canucks as an unrestricted free agent.
Through 889 career games with the Sabres, Jets, and Canucks, Myers has amassed 88 goals, 335 points, and 689 penalty minutes. He has never averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game in any of his 14 NHL seasons.
The Maple Leafs are firmly in the thick of the Stanley Cup Playoff picture with a 32–13–8 record and 72 points through 53 games this season. At 21–27–4, the Canucks are very much not in the mix for a playoff spot.
Myers is one of six defencemen on the Canucks’ NHL roster whose contracts are set to expire either this summer or next (and who could theoretically come into play ahead of the trade deadline). Ethan Bear, Travis Dermott, Luke Schenn, and Kyle Burroughs are all pending free agents; Myers and Riley Stillman will need new deals in 2024.
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