The trade market for Canucks D Tyler Myers might be 14 teams bigger than we thought

We’re back at it again, here to talk to you about the potential trading of a certain Vancouver Canucks veteran.

You know the one.

He’s the one who had a good season in 2021/22, but who may still be moved for cap-related reasons.

The American, known for his orneriness.

The one whose last name starts with an “M.”

That’s right, we’re talking about trading…Tyler Myers.

Yup, as it turns out, J.T. Miller isn’t the only M-Canuck who might be shipped out this offseason. There’s been a lot of chatter lately about a Myers trade, and whereas some may have previously assumed that such a move would be a straight-up cap dump, industry media aren’t quite so sure.

Some, like Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, believe that there’s a genuine market out there for Myers — and after taking a good look at it, we tend to agree.

The fact of the matter is that there just aren’t that many top-four-quality RHD available this summer — or any summer — but there are a boatload of teams looking for one. There might be better options than Myers available via free agency or trade, but once those are snatched up, there’s sure to be a bunch of franchises left wanting…and that’s about when Myers will start looking like a more attractive trade target.

We’ve looked at a few key factors, including cap space and pre-assembled RHD talent, to try to gauge the market for Myers, and — like Myers himself — it’s a lot bigger than anyone could have reasonably expected.

And if the Canucks are willing to retain salary on Myers as they move him out, as this very blog suggested last week?

Then we’re potentially looking at more than a dozen suitors for Myers’ services — and that could mean a decent return, too.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Kevin Shattenkirk, Jamie Drysdale

RHD potentially departing: Andrej Sustr

Current 2022/23 cap space: $39.4 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Maybe

The Ducks will be transitioning their young core into contention over the next couple of seasons. After shipping out Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm at the 2021 Deadline, they’ve signalled their desire to add a veteran D or two this offseason — in particular, one with size and physicality to help insulate their younger defenders like Drysdale. With all that cap space to play with, Anaheim could add Myers at full price without blinking.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Connor Clifton

RHD potentially departing: Josh Brown

Current 2022/23 cap space: $2.4 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

The Bruins are currently short on cap space, but that will change quickly if Patrice Bergeron retires and Jake DeBrusk is finally traded. On top of that, Boston has a number of key injuries that will keep important players out of the lineup well into 2022/23 — including star RHD Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins could be on the hunt for another RHD to bridge that gap and ensure that they don’t fall out of the playoff race early in the hyper-competitive Atlantic. Myers does seem like a good fit for the Bruins’ style of play.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Henri Jokiharju

RHD potentially departing: Colin Miller, Mark Pysyk

Current 2022/23 cap space: $43.1 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: They’d really like to!

Back to the beginning. Myers once won the Calder Trophy as a member of the Sabres, and now, more than a decade later, they could really use his services again. Buffalo holds not one, but two franchise-level LHD in Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, but they’ve got virtually no veteran RHD talent to pair with them, and attracting UFAs to Buffalo is always a challenge. If Myers were willing to return to Buffalo, they would probably be more than happy to take on his full salary and pay for the privilege.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Cale Makar, Erik Johnson (?)

RHD potentially departing: Josh Manson

Current 2022/23 cap space: $26.5 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Oh yeah

The Avalanche just booked their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in more than two decades, so they don’t need anything right now. But if they’re going to make an addition to their roster during the upcoming offseason, it stands to reason that said addition will come at RHD. Colorado will struggle to keep pending UFA Manson, and there are persistent rumours that they’ll buyout the final year of Erik Johnson’s contract. That leaves them short on the right side, with ample cap space to play around with — especially if Nazem Kadri signs elsewhere. Being a top-tier contender, the Avs would probably pay extra if the Canucks could offer up Myers at half-price.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Jani Hakanpaa

RHD potentially departing: John Klingberg

Current 2022/23 cap space: $17.5 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Hoping to

The Stars made more noise than most expected this season, but they’re still a team on the decline, and that decline is sure to steepen if John Klingberg moves on via free agency this summer. If Dallas wants to squeeze another run out of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin before officially transitioning over to the young core, they’ll need additions to their blueline. Myers, conveniently enough, was born in Texas. It seems like a perfect match, though with cap space tight, Dallas would probably request some retention.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Moritz Seider, Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, Steven Kampfer

RHD potentially departing: None

Current 2022/23 cap space: $35.8 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Maybe

The Red Wings have built up a strong core of young talent, and now it’s time for them to start building toward a playoff experience. A savvy GM like Steve Yzerman will avoid chasing big names on the UFA market, and might instead explore trades for veterans on limited term. Detroit does already have Seider in place eating up the bulk of the minutes at RHD, which could allow a player like Myers to thrive on the second pairing. Currently, the Red Wings are on the smaller side of NHL teams, and that will only become more apparent if they ship out Tyler Bertuzzi. Myers ain’t small.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Tyson Barrie, Cody Ceci, Evan Bouchard

RHD potentially departing: None

Current 2022/23 cap space: $7.1 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

After making it to the Western Conference Finals, only to be painfully swept away, changes will be coming to Edmonton. Clearly, the entire back-end of the franchise needs work, and while most of the attention will be paid to goaltending, the blueline could also use a serious revamp. Bouchard is a gem, but both Barrie and Ceci had less-than-perfect seasons, so RHD help may be a high priority. The Oilers really can’t afford to add anyone significant, but they could fit in two seasons of Myers at half-price, if the Canucks were to offer. The move makes more sense if Barrie is moved out prior.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Aaron Ekblad, Radko Gudas, Brandon Montour

RHD potentially departing: None

Current 2022/23 cap space: $3.9 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

The Panthers are honestly set on the right side of their blueline, with three NHL RHD signed for next season, led by leading man Aaron Ekblad and accentuated by players that can play either side, like Mackenzie Weegar. But after getting swept by their state rivals in the second round, the Panthers will be looking for change. Myers would give them the means to combat the excessively-large D corps of the Tampa Bay Lightning, but Florida would need to ask for maximum retention in order for such an add to even be possible.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Dougie Hamilton, Damon Severson

RHD potentially departing: PK Subban

Current 2022/23 cap space: $25.3 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: They hope to

The Devils have been frequently connected to those forwards that the Canucks have on the trade market, but might they also consider a Vancouver defender? They’ve got a lot of youth coming in at LHD, but only Hamilton and Severson (a UFA in one year) to insulate them on the right. New Jersey is going to make a run at a playoff spot next year, and they’ve got the cap space to load up a bit. They’ve also specifically noted that they are looking to add size and tenacity to their lineup, so that should make Myers an attractive target.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Artem Zub, Nikita Zaitsev, Travis Hamonic

RHD potentially departing: None

Current 2022/23 cap space: $24.2 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Ehh…maybe

Nobody thought that the Senators would be in on Hamonic, but that happened. Can the Canucks dump two overpaid defenders on the same franchise in a row? Quite possibly! The Senators will be spending this offseason looking for an RHD to pair with Thomas Chabot next season. Hamonic is not the answer, and Myers probably isn’t either, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take a look — and Ottawa can easily afford him at his full salary, too. The way Myers plays would complement existing top-four RHD Zub nicely.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: John Marino, Mark Friedman, Chad Ruhwedel

RHD potentially departing: Kris Letang

Current 2022/23 cap space: $23.2 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

With former Pittsburgh execs Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin in place, trades with the Penguins are already more likely than they are with any other franchise. The Penguins could lose top RHD Letang to free agency this summer, which would leave them scrambling for defenders who can eat minutes on the right side. They’re certainly not ready to give up on the Sidney Crosby core quite yet. Myers seems like a good fit for the Pens and they seem like a good fit for Myers. Him coming in at $3 million would leave plenty of room for Evgeni Malkin to re-sign, too.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: Adam Larsson, Will Borgen

RHD potentially departing: Cale Fleury

Current 2022/23 cap space: $22.9 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: No…but they do hope to get better

The Kraken aren’t making the playoffs anytime soon, but they are going to want to start building up their fanbase with at least slightly-more-competitive hockey. Like most teams, their biggest area of weakness is at RHD, but that weakness is particularly accentuated on a post-expansion roster. Getting Myers to agree to go to a non-contender might be challenging, but it least it wouldn’t be a very lengthy moving process.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: TJ Brodie (LHD playing RHD), Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren (RFA)

RHD potentially departing: Ilya Lyubushkin

Current 2022/23 cap space: $7.8 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

It’s all hands on deck in Toronto. Pretty much everyone is aware that anything less than a lengthy playoff run next year will mean the end of the Kyle Dubas era, so the Leafs are as all-in as they’re ever going to be. On the right side of their blueline, they’ve got Brodie playing his off-side, a still-growing Liljegren, and the heavily-declining Holl. There’s plenty of room for an upgrade there. If Toronto can manage to ship out Holl and replace him with a half-price Myers, they walk away as a much better team, and one that looks a lot more capable of actually making it through the first round.

RHD on contract for 2022/23: John Carlson, Nick Jensen, Trevor van Riemsdyk

RHD potentially departing: Justin Schultz

Current 2022/23 cap space: $9.0 million

Are they contending in the next two years?: Yes

The Capitals will try to get a few more runs out of this core, and that means keeping their blueline as fresh as possible. The probable exit of Schultz means an offensive gap on the back-end, and it’s one that Myers could fill ably, especially if he were offered up at full retention. On a veteran-laden roster, Myers’ mistakes could be minimized, and his offensive numbers could ratchet right up.