Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours. The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to lock down Philippe Myers to a contract extension. The Leafs signed the defenceman to a one-year deal for $775K in free agency. Therefore, he’s a pending unrestricted free agent and is eligible to sign an extension that would kick in next season. Myers was signed to be a depth defenceman for Toronto, along with Dakota Mermis who was brought in on the same day as Myers.
It’s no secret to Leafs fans that Treliving loves having depth on his team, especially on the blueline. Earlier in the season, there were rumblings about Steven Lorentz having discussions with the team to sign an extension. He’s another player who makes up the depth of the Maple Leafs, even if he is a regular in the lineup. No deal has been agreed to yet.
Leafs Eyeing Extension For D-man
According to Kevin Weekes of ESPN, the Maple Leafs and Myers are close to making progress on a contract extension. The defenceman has acted as a depth piece at the start of the season. However, he’s played nine games for Toronto this season, eight of those appearances coming in the month of December and supplied two assists. Myers’ stock has been rising under head coach Craig Berube as he gets more looks in the lineup and on the ice.
With Jani Hakanpaa dealing with a hefty knee injury, Myers naturally climbed the depth chart. Going into the season, Conor Timmins was listed as Toronto’s sixth defenceman, beating out Timothy Liljegren. Eventually, Liljegren was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Therefore, Myers is the next defenceman in line to join the lineup. Lately, he’s been challenging Timmins for his roster spot and some fans believe the spot should belong to Myers. The fans might not be far from matching general manager Brad Treliving’s opinion since he’s interested in extending Myers.
The Leafs may be anticipating the future regarding their bottom pairing. Timmins is also in the final year of his two-year contract. Despite that, there hasn’t been much noise about an extension for him. He is available for arbitration at the end of the season.
A Home For Myers?
Myers has been on a journey to find a home in the NHL throughout his career. The blueliner went undrafted after four seasons with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. He was signed as a free agent in 2015 by the Philadelphia Flyers. Since then he was an asset in trades that sent him to the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before this season, he played 158 NHL games, spending most of his career in Philadelphia.
Myers is something of an AHL veteran, having played 241 games in the minors. He made three appearances with the Leafs’ affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. He also spent a large chunk of the previous two seasons playing in the American League with the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa Bay’s affiliate. Nearly 88 percent of the games he played between the 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 season were in the AHL.
Between all the trades he’s been involved in, and the constant transition between the AHL and NHL, Myers will hope to find a home in Toronto. Furthermore, he hasn’t signed a multi-year contract since his three-year deal with the Flyers signed in 2020.
Main Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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