There are can't-miss prospects in hockey, and then there are prospects you can't miss. Myers had both labels as a junior star before he burst onto the NHL scene.
At 6-foot-8, Myers is one of the tallest players in NHL history. But his talent, more than his size, is what helped the Houston-born, Calgary-raised Myers stand out.
There are can't-miss prospects in hockey, and then there are prospects you can't miss. Myers had both labels as a junior star before he burst onto the NHL scene.
At 6-foot-8, Myers is one of the tallest players in NHL history. But his talent, more than his size, is what helped the Houston-born, Calgary-raised Myers stand out.
His long stride is also fluid and efficient, enabling the player teammates dubbed "The Big Easy" to quickly get up and down the ice. With just 229 pounds draped on his long frame, Myers is not an overly physical presence; he combines his size and reach with good positioning gained via his speed to get the upper hand on opponents.
A first-round pick (No. 12) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 NHL Draft, Myers made his NHL debut at age 19 when Buffalo hosted the Montreal Canadiens in its season-opener on Oct. 3, 2009. Myers played in all 82 games during the 2009-10 season - one of just four rookies to do so - and he led first-year players in average ice time (23:44), assists (37) and blocks (133) while finishing third among rookies in points (48).
Myers also led all Sabres players in ice time and ranked first among Buffalo defensemen in goals (11), assists, points and blocks, and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. He made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut that season, scoring a goal and leading Sabres defensemen in shots (18) while playing in all six games of Buffalo's first-round loss to the Boston Bruins.
The next season Myers again led Buffalo defensemen in scoring (37 points) and tied for the team lead with five game-winning goals. After he signed a seven-year contract extension with the Sabres before the 2011-12 season, injuries, including a broken leg, hampered him for the next two seasons.
Myers was traded to the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 11, 2015 in a deal that sent forward Evander Kane to Buffalo. Myers had 15 points in 24 games as the Jets qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season. In the playoffs Myers scored a goal and led Jets skaters in average ice time over the four games of their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks.
In junior hockey, Myers won Western Hockey League playoff MVP honors for leading Kelowna to the 2009 WHL championship and was a Memorial Cup All-Star that year.
