It feels like only yesterday that the Flyers reshaped their organization with the help of the 2017 NHL Draft. Nolan Patrick, Morgan Frost, and Isaac Ratcliffe were the first three names selected by the team, but the man from that class making the most postseason noise for the Flyers wasn’t drafted at all – Philippe Myers.
The story so far
An undrafted free agent, many had assumed that Myers would go on to play another season in the QMJHL after dominating in 2015-16, notching 45 points in 63 games. The Flyers were able to pluck him early and begin grooming a star in the making.
After making his NHL debut last year, it was clear Myers had a lot of potential. He split his time between the Flyers and Phantoms, rallying to 24 assists and 33 points for Lehigh Valley in 53 games. Shockingly though, he was sent back down to the Phantoms for the start of the 2020 season in a move that shocked Flyers fans all over, as well as Myers himself.
“Yeah, I was really disappointed and sort of a little bit of a wake-up call.” Myers told Philly Sports Network. “I needed to get back on track. Not try to do too much and keep it simple. I think I went down there with the right attitude and played pretty well in those couple of games I played in and kept it going up here. Since I went down there at the beginning of the year, it feels that much better to get back up here.”
New found glory
After feeling the chip on his shoulder grow, Myers rose to the occasion once again and was soon called up by the Flyers. He’s appeared in 50 games for the orange-and-black this season alone and is making his presence felt.
Against the Bruins in the Round-robin, he led the team in ice-time, contributing a goal and helping to create another in what was a truly dominant win. That was only going to be the beginning of his playoff success.
The 23-year-old scored a gorgeous goal in the second period in the team’s recent win over the Canadiens, tallying his second of the postseason. When looking back on the goal, Myers seemed calm.
I was just trying to put it on net. It was Kulak there who was trying to get a stick on the puck. I just tried to avoid his stick and put it on net. Got lucky and got a good bounce. I’ll take it.
He also earned plenty of praise from Alain Vigneault.
I’ve seen a young man work hard and improve his game. Like a lot of other young D’s, I think we’re scratching the surface. I don’t think that he’s reached his full potential. For him to reach his full potential, a lot of it is going to have to do with himself figuring it out, working extremely hard, putting the time, work and preparation that is needed to become the best that you can be. There’s no doubt that Phil has taken strides this year and he’s an important player on this team.
The ceiling looks sky-high for the defenseman and if he can continue to perform on such a big stage, then who knows how big his future role could really be?
