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The Vancouver Canucks have begun their 2024-25 season and are hoping to bounce back from a season-opening loss. They are taking on a Philadelphia Flyers team with some young talent making their NHL debuts on Friday. However, the focus for Vancouver now is one of their elder statesmen in Tyler Myers.
Myers left the game on Friday against the Flyers after an awkward collision. He went to deliver a hit to Philadelphia winger Joel Farabee. However, the Canucks defenseman went down in a heap after delivering the hit. He needed to be helped off the ice and was later ruled out of the game by the Canucks.
Myers is one of the more seasoned veterans on this team. He began his 16th season in the NHL when he took the ice on Friday night. Additionally, he is on the verge of playing 1000 games in the NHL. Myers played 77 games for the Canucks last season, scoring five goals and 29 points.
Tyler Myers is a mainstay on Canucks blueline
Myers joined the Canucks back in the summer of 2019. The veteran rearguard had just spent parts of five seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. And he hoped to play a major role on a Vancouver blueline that needed reinforcements. He earned the trust of the coaching staff as time went on. In fact, he played more than 20 minutes a night in four of his five full seasons with the team.
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In 2023-24, though, he saw a small reduction in his ice time. He played a tad under 19 minutes a night this past season. Vancouver went on to win the Pacific Division despite Myers playing a smaller role. They advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Canucks could not defeat the Edmonton Oilers, and lost in seven games.
Myers is not the flashiest defender on the ice. However, he brings a physical element the Canucks certainly covet. The veteran defender finished seventh on the Canucks last season with 110 hits, according to Hockey Reference. Additionally, he finished second behind Ian Cole in shot blocks.
Myers has emerged as one of the team's primary shot blockers, as well. He blocked 136 shots for the Canucks in 2023-24. The next best-shot blocker — defenseman Filip Hronek — had just 87 blocked shots in 2023-24.
The Canucks certainly hope Myers has avoided a serious injury. They certainly covet his ability to block shots and throw the body when needed. Let's see if Myers can return to the ice without complications sooner rather than later.
