
Flyers and Phil Myers Agree to Three-Year Deal
Looks like the Flyers’ top defensive pairing is set, with restricted free agent Philippe Myers agreeing to a three year deal worth $2.5 million per.
Myers is expected to replace the retired Matt Niskanen and partner Ivan Provorov as the Flyers look to build on a successful 2019-2020 campaign.
Here’s part of the blurb from the press release:
“We’re happy to have Phil signed for the next three years,” said Chuck Fletcher. “He is a big, mobile right shot defenseman who progressed into a top four role on our blue line last season. We look forward to his continued growth.”
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Myers, 23 (1-25-1997), is coming off his first full NHL season. He recorded 16 points (4G, 12A) over 50 games in 2019-20 while leading the team’s defensemen in plus-minus with a plus-17. That rating tied him for second among all NHL rookies. Myers scored goals in three consecutive games from Nov. 7-10, becoming just the seventh Flyers defenseman to do so and the first since Mark Howe in 1987.
Good bridge deal. He’ll still be a RFA when his contract is up and then they can explore something long term from there. And a nice overall job by Chuck Fletcher with the salary cap, as he now has his top defensive pair earning just $9 million and the Kevin Hayes/Sean Couturier duo earning just $11.5 million.
This leaves the Flyers with about $2.26 million in cap space. They’ll add another forward, and we have yet to find out if Nolan Patrick will play this season. This is also the last year of the Andrew McDonald buyout, so they’ll be free of that obligation soon.
Here’s Russell’s take:
“This signing is nothing short of masterful from Chuck Fletcher. As the roster currently stands, Myers is poised to get the first opportunity on the top pairing with Ivan Provorov. I still believe it would have behooved the Flyers to acquire a veteran on a one-year deal to fill the void Matt Niskanen left via retirement, which would have allowed the dynamic Sanheim-Myers pairing another year to grow and develop. This deal speaks to the incredibly fast rise Myers has seen through this organization from an undrafted rookie free agent to a top contender in the Eastern Conference at just 23 years of age. He’s a much better skater than you’d expect a 6’5″ defenseman to be and he’s got true offensive upside. If Provorov struggles on the top PP unit, don’t be surprised to see Myers get an opportunity to quarterback PP2. We’ve seen flashes of a dynamic two-way defenseman in his short NHL career. If he were to continue his upward trajectory and solidify the top pairing, he’d be seen as an even bigger steal than many view him now. While I would’ve been happy to see Fletcher roll the dice and settle on a 4 year deal at around $3m AAV, getting a three-year bridge done for $700k less than Travis Sanheim will make this season is big. Could that be a bit of negotiating leverage if Sanheim plays well this season, but Myers outshines him? Maybe, maybe not. This deal gives the Flyers a bit of stability for the next few seasons with only Ivan Provorov -under contract for four seasons beyond this one- having a longer commitment. The organizational depth including Egor Zamula and Cam York could be given an opportunity over the next season or two, when Justin Braun and Robert Hägg’s deals expire. Plus, it seems unlikely Shayne Gostisbehere will play out the two seasons remaining on his current deal with the Flyers.”