Philadelphia Flyers: Phil Myers establishing himself as NHL defenseman

Officially a rookie this season, Phil Myers has established himself in the league. He is now looking like a full-time NHLer for the Flyers.

Playing just 21 games a season ago, Philippe Myers came into this year as a rookie in the league. He had to earn his time, failing to impress the Flyers during training camp and the preseason. He started the season off in the American Hockey League with the Phantoms. Myers wasn’t there long, however.

By the end of October, the Flyers brought Myers up from the Phantoms. He has stuck in the NHL since that date. He has even worked himself up in the lineup. Myers started off on the third pairing, but has most recently made his way to the second pairing with Travis Sanheim.

The two have made a formidable pairing together. They had previous experience with each other, manning the top pair for the Phantoms. So it was only logical to put them together in the NHL.

But just looking at Myers alone, he has a solid set of skills. His height is a big factor as he stands at 6-foot-5. The more impressive thing is that he has excellent range and mobility for a player of that size. There are some things he needs to work on, though.

With only 71 games of NHL experience, that’s not a surprise. His biggest weakness shows up when it comes to reading plays and making decisions on when to jump up. He seemingly got better at that as the season went on.

Myers has the tools to add offense to his game. He’s collected four goals and 12 assists this season. His shot accuracy could use some work as he boasts a powerful shot. His big frame lends itself nicely to that kind of shot. But all of that will come with more time in the league. And he might not necessarily be an offensive player.

His advanced numbers are average for a player in their first season. He is over 50% in both Corsi (51.5) and Fenwick (51.3) at even strength. So the team is performing fairly average with him on the ice. He isn’t dominating play, but he also isn’t getting dominated. Myers is holding his own, which is exactly what he needed to prove.

Myers was finally sticking in the lineup and showing he belonged when a knee injury took him out of action in the beginning of March. He suffered a fractured right knee cap, an injury that would put him out at least four weeks.

The Flyers only played two more games until the league pause. This time has allowed Myers to heal up. He has been given the green light and will be ready to go whenever the season is to resume.

He is set to become a restricted free agent after this season. With only this year under his belt as a full season, there will be a tough decision to make. Myers is looking like a part of the future. However, do the Flyers think they can bank on what they’ve seen from him thus far? Or do they need another year or two to see what Myers can do?

Looking him up now could be smart. He shouldn’t cost much yet and it would give the team plenty of time to watch over his development. Things are looking up for Myers. We’ll find out if the Flyers agree.