The ability to land a right-shot defenseman is a valuable commodity heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. When that defenseman's salary with retention is under $2 million, he becomes even more of an asset. That fact was never clearer than on Wednesday evening, when the Vancouver Canucks sent Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars for a second and fourth-round pick, two days before the NHL Trade Deadline.
Dallas came out of nowhere to steal Myers, as the last rumor was that he was contemplating a trade to the Detroit Red Wings. It was known that it'd take a good opportunity to drag the massive defender out of British Columbia, and moving east to Detroit seemed like a bit of a stretch. It turns out that Myers' roots in Texas made the Stars a much more appealing destination for him to waive his no-move clause.
The Stars have to be happy with the acquisition, despite needing to cough up two draft picks to get him. With Vancouver retaining 50% of his salary, Dallas now has a reliable defender in Myers for this season and next, with a more-than-manageable $1.5 million cap hit. Being able to slot that kind of defensive defenseman into a lineup in the toughest division in hockey at a bargain could be something that puts them over the top in the postseason.
Tyler Myers trade makes Dallas' defense formidable
The most Myers had to worry about in the Pacific Division was the few times a year he had to match up with either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. With the Central Division loading up, the defenseman will now have a bunch of talent flying into the defensive zone, as the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche are filled with skill. There will be no easy nights as one of those three teams attempts to advance from the playoff bracket and represent the division in the Western Conference Final.
Myers figures to slot in on the third pair alongside Lian Bischel to form a tall, rangy defensive duo that serves teams well in the postseason. If Nils Lundqvist falters on the second pair, Myers could also move up to play on the right side with Thomas Harley, which would give Harley the kind of large, defensive presence that he excelled playing with at the Olympics, occasionally pairing with Colton Parayko.
Both the Wild and Avalanche have been working on upgrading their defensive depth, with Minnesota's massive acquisition of Quinn Hughes earlier this season and Colorado's depth pickups of Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg. Dallas had no choice but to upgrade their defense as well, or risk falling behind.
Final Stars, Canucks trade grades
The Canucks saw the market for a right-shot defenseman and struck while the iron was hot. The Edmonton Oilers traded a second-round pick for Connor Murphy, which set the market, and the Canucks were able to add a fourth-round pick in exchange for retaining some salary. With Vancouver nowhere near competing over the next season-and-a-half, eating $1.5 million is worth adding some more picks to the cupboard.
The Stars will be happy with the low-cost addition. Myers might not be the best foil for taking on the talented Avalanche and Wild transition games, but his physical style will slow some of their best players in the defensive zone. Tyler Myers could have some moments that leave Dallas fans scratching their heads, as he had in Vancouver, but they'll be happy enough with him to justify the trade in the long run.
Stars grade: B+
Canucks grade: B-
