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Canucks Scratching Tyler Myers For Trade-Related Reasons
Bob Frid-Imagn Images

With the trade deadline now just a week and a half away, we will soon be seeing an uptick in players being held out of the lineup to avoid any injury risk before a potential trade.  The Rangers did it with Artemi Panarin before the Olympic break and now the Canucks will be doing so with a veteran as well.  Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that blueliner Tyler Myers will be scratched tonight against Winnipeg for trade-related reasons.  This comes on the heels of a report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link) that Vancouver is fielding plenty of calls on the veteran and that he could be on the move soon.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) that the Canucks went to Myers with this trade option a couple of days ago.  With a full no-move clause, Myers has full control over his situation and he and his camp are still pondering the potential change of scenery.  Clearly, even though a deal might not be imminent, the team isn’t taking any chances and is holding him out just in case.

The 36-year-old came into the NHL with plenty of fanfare in 2009 after being the 12th overall pick by Buffalo the year before.  With Myers jumping into a top-pairing role right away, expectations were quite high that he could be a legitimate franchise defender.

While he hasn’t been able to live up to that hype and ultimately struggled in a prominent role over the years, Myers has still been a steady second-pairing defender for the better part of the last decade.  He’s in the middle of his seventh season in Vancouver, one that has seen his offensive production basically dry up altogether as he has been limited to just a goal and seven assists in 57 games.  However, he remains a key defensive defender for them and sits second on the team in blocked shots and third in shorthanded playing time.

Myers is in the second season of a three-year, $9MM contract that runs through the 2026-27 season.  With a $3MM cap charge that is certainly affordable for the role he plays (he’s averaging over 20 minutes per game once again), that and the fact he’s not a rental player should certainly have Vancouver well-positioned to command a quality return, especially with a lack of quality right-shot options available.

A move shouldn’t necessarily be considered an automatic, however.  Myers has made it known over the years that his desire has been to remain with the Canucks no matter what, which played a role in his below-market contract with them.  Assuming the other suitor is a legitimate playoff contender, it will be interesting to see if the allure of making a push for a Stanley Cup is enough to make him agree to be moved.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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