The Philadelphia Flyers brought some much-needed good news to the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday, announcing that they have re-signed defenseman Phil Myers.
The deal is worth $2.55M AAV and is set to run three years. It’s been over a month since the Flyers extended a qualifying offer to the 23-year-old in a move many fans were chomping at the bit to see completed.
After making his NHL debut in the 2018-19 campaign, it was clear that the former UDFA 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.
One year later, in his first full NHL season, Myers recorded 16 points (4 goals and 12 assists across 50 games, tying second among rookies with a +17 rating and leading the team. All the postseason did was prove that his season was anything but a fluke.
Against the Bruins in the Round-robin, he led the team in ice-time, and fired in a goal before helping to create another. The 23-year-old then went on to score a gorgeous goal in the series against the Canadiens.
In a key playoff game against the Islanders, Myers became the first Flyers defenseman to score an overtime goal since Andy Delmore back in Game 3 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Pittsburgh.
He ended the postseason with a +2 rating. Through sixteen games, Myers tallied 4 points, 50 hits, and 17 blocked shots.
Keeping Myers around absolutely had to be a priority for the Flyers. Losing Matt Niskanen to retirement was a bullet nobody could’ve seen coming, much like the rise of the young defenseman. Phil Myers should be the top candidate to replace Nisky as Ivan Provorov’s running mate and all of a sudden, the Flyers defense has clarity. it’s brimming with young potential, has plenty of proven talent, and now has some extreme value on a cheap deal for a player who has only trended upward and developed since first putting his stick on the Ice in a Flyers uniform.
Photo Credit: Alex Mcintyre
