I’ve been telling you in this space since early October that Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray has been a frequent inquirer about the availability of one Tyler Myers. The Ducks and Sabres played one another twice in early October. Murray has sent his scouts to Buffalo and road venues to keep a watchful eye on Myers since early October. The Murray not named Tim has been wanting to make a deal for Myers since early this season. One assumes that is the case still. The Ducks have had their fair share of injuries and unfortunate luck as it relates to their D corps this season. Between the mumps virus (Stoner and Beauchemin), multiple injuries (Lovejoy, Beauchemin) to key D-men and having to give big minutes to three young D, Murray and his head coach Bruce Boudreau have been wanting to upgrade their top four D group.
At one point this season, Murray and Boudreau had played 14 different defenseman this season. The Ducks iced a mix and match blue line for the first 80 days of the season. They weathered the storm. Now, their focus is on finishing well and earning home ice advantage for the playoffs. Murray still wants to add a difference maker on his back end. The road the Western Conference Finals will be littered with clubs that failed at locking down opponents at key junctures in tight, competitive playoff games. In my opinion, the Ducks D corps, as its presently constructed, will not be able to withstand the violence and pugnacity of an aggressive forecheck. The St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks and LA Kings forecheck like packs of Dobermans. The Ducks D will be susceptible to waves of heavy pressure once the playoffs begin. That's why its of utmost importance for Bob Murray to acquire a slick skating D who can go back for pucks, hit tape to tape passes to forwards moving out of the zone, and wheel the puck out of his end to elude stifling forecheck pressure.
The time has come. The Anaheim Ducks need to make a move to bolster their back end.
Enter Tim Murray, he of the Buffalo Sabres. Murray reiterated earlier this week that he is not attempting to trade Tyler Myers. However, the GMTM has had multiple inquiries this season about big #57. Its Murray's fiduciary responsibility as GM of Terry Pegula's team to listen intently to all inquiries on all of his players, not just the pending UFAs.
The name of Tyler Myers has been in the mouths of several NHL GMs this season.
Ottawa Sun writer Bruce Garrioch has confirmed that which I have been telling you for months about Myers:
A). #57 is attracting a ton of attention from Anaheim, Detroit and Colorado.
B). Tim Murray is not actively shopping Myers, however, will listen to real, bona fide offers for his #1 D-man
C). There are contending teams who are interested in trading several assets to Buffalo in exchange for Myers just so that they can pre-empt Myers from being traded to a competitor.
For all of the struggling that the Sabres have endured this season, Myers has maintained his value. Strange as it may seem, Myers may have increased his trade value during Buffalo current 14 game winless streak where he has been a tower of power and a true shining star for Ted Nolan. Though the days have been dark and desolate, the 24 year old Myers continues to soldier on. He’s averaging 25:20 TOI and continues to lead by his examples on and off the ice.
Staunch Sabres fans cannot see the forest through the trees as it relates to Myers. Most Sabres fans think that Myers is a on his way to bigger and better things in the NHL. Others feel like Myers have given the Sabres the best play that he possibly give them. Personally, I feel like now is the time to trade Myers for an assortment of current roster players, and high visibility draft choices. They are a 30th place team with Myers on the roster. Its time to get maximum trade value for him while the demand for his is so high. It will behoove Bob Murray to formalize a trade with Buffalo for Tyler Myers before another teams beat down Tim Murray’s office door. Face it, folks. Tyler Myers is in hot demand in and around the NHL right now. 6'8" skilled big men who can skate like the wind, eat 25+ minutes TOI, core, move the puck and play in all situations are very rare in today's NHL. Supply is low. Demand is high. The price will be high for Tyler Myers.
Bob Murray better leverage his relationship with his former colleague Tim Murray before another aggressive GM swoops in and steals his man Myers. Bob Murray knows Tim Murray better than most GMs and AGMs in the NHL. Tim worked for Bob in Anaheim. The two men had a huge impacted on assembling the dominant 2007 Stanley Cup champion Ducks team. The Murray Mafia know how one another are feeling without even being in the same room together. Hell, they can complete one another's thoughts and sentences.
By now, 29 NHL GMs know what Tim Murray's list of demands for a Tyler Myers trade. They know that Murray does not have to trade Myers now, however, if trading him improves the Sabres then so be it.
Murray said this week that the trade market is "very quiet" right now. Why do you think he did two radio interviews on Buffalo airwaves in a 16 hour window? Murray is chumming the waters. He's baiting the great whites to swim to the surface to sink their teeth into Buffalo's available like Chris Stewart, Drew Stafford, Torrey Mitchell, Jhonas Enroth, and Michal Neuvirth. Myers is one of those players. I suspect that Tim Murray will be moving Stewart in the days to come. The Boston Bruins have been scouting Stewart for months. Good thing for Stewart that he is playing his best hockey of the season right now. He scored 2 PPGs in the loss in Vancouver on Friday night. The Bruins suffered a major loss when winger Loui Eriksson took a Robyn Regehr elbow to the back of the head in Saturday night's Bruins win over the Kings. Eriksson left the game early in the third period and didn't return. Peter Chiarelli will click into desperation mode if he gets bad news on Eriksson, who has suffered from concussion issues in his career.
So what about Myers? Per Garrioch:
With the playoffs just over two months away, you can expect the Anaheim Ducks to step up their efforts to acquire Buffalo defenceman Tyler Myers. Anaheim GM Bob Murray doesn’t want Myers going to the Red Wings — or anywhere else for that matter — and has held regular talks with Buffalo. If the Sabres are going to move Myers, they want big pieces in return because the organization isn’t convinced he won’t be just fine down the road. The Ducks have the assets to make the deal and Buffalo GM Tim Murray can get the ball rolling on the deadline. “He’s got the bargaining chips and there’s a ton of interest in Myers,” said a league executive. The Avs have also sniffed on Myers.
If Bob Murray trades for Tyler Myers it will be a pre-emptive strike against the rest of the NHL teams. Bob Murray doesn't want Tim Murray trading Myers to Colorado or Detroit. Tim Murray wants what’s best for his NHL club. If that means trading Tyler Myers in exchange for a first round draft choice, a roster player and a top prospect, then so be it.
Tim Murray would love to take ownership of supremely skilled Anaheim D Sami Vatanen (10G, 20A this season), forward prospect Nick Ritchie (10th overall 2014 NHL Draft / Soo Greyhounds), and Anaheim’s 2015 first rounder. Vatanen is a rock star. He plays his position with great poise, patients and precision. Ritchie is a skilled battering ram. At 6'3 and 230 lbs. (92 PIMs) he has scored 21 goals and added 20 assists in 34 games this season. He was traded from Peterborough to the Soo after his excellent showing for Team Canada's gold medal squad at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Myers turn 25 years of age today. He has 6+ years of NHL experience ( 360 games / 13 playoffs games) under his belt. He is ready to take his game to the next level. Vatanen is a 23 year with a tremendous future. Ritchie is a 19 year old power future with a promising NHL future. Bob Murray would simply plug and play Myers for the next 8-10 years.
If Bob Murray continues to balk at the aforementioned compensation package then he will open up the bidding to suitors in Detroit and Colorado. If Murray wants Myers he better act swiftly and efficiently. Otherwise, he will live with regrets for years to come.
There may be a bidding war forming around Tyler Myers. The team that lands him will be better for having gone through the trading process.
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