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Are the Colorado Avalanche entering the Tyler Myers admiration society?
Their D is thin and is now getting even thinner.
Patrick Roy's blue line suffered another massive blow today when Erik Johnson sustained an injury. Johnson suffered an undisclosed injury after being slammed into the boards by Winnipeg’s Mark Stuart.
Johnson did not finish the game. He missed the majority of the third period and the overtime session.
Roy had to roll a five man D rotation that included: Nick Holden, Tyson Barrie, Jan Hejda, Zach Redmond, and Brad Stuart.
If I'm an opposing head coach, I'm not worrying too much about this D group. Its slower and less physical than the Avs' 2013-14 D corps that surprised so many people with its toughness, fast-up passes, and strong play in front of Semyon Varlamov.
The Avs have struggled this season because its overall team speed has been dropped a notch by adding veteran forwards Jarome Iginla and Danny Briere. Brad Stuart is not what you would call fleet of foot. Varlamov suffered an injury of his own last week and its no wonder why the Avs have been so ordinary in the first three weeks of this season.
The Avs are already down Ryan Wilson who is already out 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury.
The Buffalo Sabres were scouting the Avs-Jets game today.
Might the Avs be interested in Sabres D Tyler Myers?
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Thanks, Blue Jackets
Scary moment in LA as Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno was stretchered off the ice after a freak collision with the linesman, who was sitting on the wall, after he was checked by Kings center Jeff Carter. Foligno's head appeared to be jammed awkwardly into the lower back/spine/hip of the prone linesman.
After several minutes of lying face flat on the ice, Folgno was lifted onto a stretcher and was taken to the Kings' medical room for further evaluation.
Foligno reportedly gave his teammates the thumbs up as he was taken off the ice, past his Jax mates.
The Blue Jax report that Foligno is alert, has full movement in his limbs and is talking with doctors. Will have precautionary x-rays at STAPLES Center.
More to come
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Tyler Myers played well on the recently concluded California road trip that saw the Sabres go 1-2. Myers didn't record any points on the trip, however, he played with a lot of poise and physicality while skating an average of 22.5 minutes TOI per game.
Was Myers auditioning for the Anaheim Ducks while in their neighborhood?
The Ottawa Sun reports that Tim Murray has told teams:
"in no uncertain terms he won’t give the 24-year-old away without a strong package in return. It’s believed the asking price is two high-end prospects and a pick".
Ducks GM Bob Murray had inquired about Myers’ availability last spring before the NHL Trade Deadline. Myers is intruguing to the Ducks who have a nice blend of veterans and youth on their D corps. Fracois Beauchemin, Bryan Allen, Ben Lovejoy, Mark Fistric, and Clayton Stoner play the heavy game extremely well, while Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, and Hampus Lindholm bring the mobility and scoring touches.
If a deal is to be done with Buffalo for Myers, it would have to included one D prospects and one in Hampus Lindholm (2012 1st rounder, 6th overall) and one forward prospect Nick Ritchie (2014 1st rounder, 10th).
Lindholm is a complete player. He’s 6’3” and 210lbs. He skates like the wind, has an NHL shot, and plays the physical game. In his rookie season in Anaheim in 2013-14, Lindholm potted 5 goals and added 24 assists. In 78 games, he was +29. That’s not a typo. Lindholm was +29 as a 20 year old. He will turn 21 in January.
Lindholm is a complete defenseman, and he does everything well. His size, skill, and mobility make him a must-have in any deal for Myers. In some ways, he’s a shorter version of Myers. He likes to throw his weight around, but doesn’t take dumb penalties. He loves to rush the puck and join in on the offense. Scouts say that his hockey sense are puck skills are excellent. He thrives on the PP and PK and can play upwards of 22-25 minutes per game.
Ritchie is a big, strong, tough winger who likes the heavy game and can finish. At 6’2 and 225 lbs., Ritchie fits into Murray’s model. Ritchie is a prototypical power forward with an impressive blend of size, skill and strength. He has fast hands and fast feet and is a human bulldozer. Ritchie scored 39 goals and added 35 assists in his NHL draft year while playing big minutes for the Peterborough Petes.He added another 5 goals and 5 assists in the OHL playoffs last season. He has 5 goals and 8 asists in 10 games with the Petes this season, and 25 PIMs.
Tim Murray once worked in the Ducks front office with Bob Murray. Both men understand one another. Bob will get Myers if, and only if, he is willing to part with two of his top prospects and a third rounder.
Tim Murray doesn’t have to trade Tyler Myers. He's 24 years of age and is playing his sixth NHL season. Myers has played 327 regular season games and another 13 playoff games while wearing a Buffalo sweater. He's scored 41 goals and added 97 assists in 327 games played (anther 2G, 5A in playoffs). Murray has him under contract ( $5.5 million cap hit through 2018-19). Myers has a ton of marketability right now as it appears as though his inconsistent ways are now a thing of the past. He struggles after the lockout due to injury and was inconsistent until Ted Nolan fixed his game last season. Myers is back to being himself again.
If Bob Murray, Ken Holland, Peter Chiarelli, or Craig MacTavish want to get their mitts on Myers, they will have to pay a premium price to get him. In my opinion, Detroit and Anaheim have the wherewithal and the prospects that Tim Murray wants in return to get a Myers deal done.
Tim Murray made a scouting trip to Ottawa to watch the Sens-Devils game on Saturday night Might he be eyeballing young D Jared Cowen? Paul MacLean is content to keep Cowen as his seventh D. The kid wants to play. He's clearly MacLean's dog house right now as he has only played in two games this far. Murray drafted Cowen ninth overall in 2009. He knows full well what type of player the 6'5" 230 lb. D-man is. In 68 games last season, Cowen scored 6 goals on 68 shots taken and added 9 assists and 45 PIMs. He was an even player.
If Murray decides to move Myers to Anaheim, Cowen (and a second rounder) for Stewart may be a worthwhile trade for both the Sabres and Sens.
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