andydrmm

Canandaigua, NY • United States • 29 Years Old • Male

Tyler Myers- What Happened?

Tyler Myers.

I already know that just by saying his name, a lot of people’s attention just caught this blog. He’s been with the Sabres his entire NHL career, and after having a dazzling rookie career, he seems to be struggling.

Prompting the question...

What happened to Tyler Myers??

First off, his point totals have significantly decreased since his rookie season in 2009-2010. Looking at his numbers from 2010 until the present, they’re not terrible. However, they’re not mind numbing either. When people expect Myers to be an offensive defenseman, the numbers definitely aren’t gong to meet their expectations.

Personally, I think the criticism that Myers receives a lot in Buffalo is due to that amazing rookie year when he won the Calder Trophy. That sets expectations pretty high. For a defenseman, it’s difficult to maintain that level of scoring throughout one’s career.

I don’t think scoring is a problem for Myers. My issue with him is his play in his own end.

Myers very rarely uses that 6’8” body of his to get dirty in the corners. He has almost seemed to shy away from big hits and physical play at times. Myers has also struggled with making “heads-up” hockey plays, poor passes, poor decisions with the puck, and not covering his man at times.

Ron Rolston and his new coaching staff need to try to get Myers to develop into a better all around hockey player. I personally don’t care about how many goals Myers can score. He’s a defenseman, I care about him doing just that. He needs to play better in his own end. If he’s able to do that, he’ll slowly return to the 48 point defenseman that Buffalo fans grew accustomed too back in 2009-2010.

It’s also up to a coach to instill confidence in his players. I feel that Ron Rolston and the Sabres need to try to give some to Myers. This is a player that has a whole other level of NHL hockey type play in him. He just won’t bring it out. It’s up to Rolston and his staff not only to help develop Myers, but get him believing in himself.

One more thing to keep in mind as I put a bow on this one. Tyler Myers is 23, a lot of guys are lucky to even be in the NHL at that age. Plus, playing defense in the NHL is tough and often takes a long time to develop. While Myers may not have 4 seasons in the NHL under his belt, there’s still a lot to learn. Personally, I think the Sabres need to bring in a veteran defenseman to by Myers D partner. This will give Myers more of an opportunity to learn and grow and develop into the defenseman we all know he can be.

I think Tyler Myers’ future is in Buffalo. Not just because of that contract, but because it’d still be a little ridiculous to get rid of him. However, his time in blue and gold may be running out if they aren’t able to develop him into the defenseman they want him to be.

Follow me on Twitter- @SabresBTB- sorry for the absence, it’s been a wild week or two here.

As always, Thanks for reading!

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