With news of the NHL and NHLPA aiming to start a 56-game regular season (depending on the establishment of pandemic-related logistics and revised procedures) on January 13, 2021, teams are now moving forward with roster moves and signings. On Tuesday afternoon, the Flyers announced that they have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Philippe Myres to a three-year contract extension.
The deal will carry a $2.55 million average annual value. The Flyers are currently about $2.24 million below the salary cap ceiling for 2020-21. All internal free agents have now either been re-signed or signed elsewhere.
Upon the new contract's expiration after the 2022-23 season, Myres can become an arbitration-eligible free agent. He will be one year away from unrestricted free agent rights at this point, so the new contract extension is at least partially a bet on himself that a major raise in his future by that point.
"It's an honor to be a part of the Flyers for the next three years and I'm really looking forward to it," Myers said in a statement released by the team.
"We have a real good team and I am very excited at what we are going to achieve this year and the years to come. I really do believe in this group and my expectations are to go all the way with these guys and I wouldn't have it any other way."
With the retirement of Matt Niskanen this offseason, Myres is likely slated to get the first crack at playing on the right side of the team's top defensive pairing in conjunction with Ivan Provorov.
Officially an NHL rookie this past season after playing 21 games for the Flyers in 2018-19, the 23-year-old defenseman started the 2019-20 with a brief stint in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but was recalled on Oct. 31. He's been in the NHL ever since.
Myers established himself over the course of the 2019-20 season as a regular starter, initially on the third defense pairing and later on the second pairing. By the second half of the season, he was typically paired with Travis Sanheim.
Myers is an outstanding natural athlete, combining imposing size (6-foot-5, 210 pounds), excellent muscular and cardiovascular conditioning, exceptional range and mobility as well as an aggressive style of play. There are many things he does well, and others that, with some further improvement, could help propel him to being the total package as a modern-day NHL defenseman.
He's not a finished product even now, but he's significantly refined many of the raw materials he brought into pro hockey. The best is probably still yet to come as he gains experience beyond the 71 NHL games that he's played to date in his young career.
As with virtually every young defenseman, Myers had his share of ups and downs from a consistency standpoint as he navigated the learning curve from junior hockey to the AHL to the NHL. It has taken him some time to work his reads and pick his spots so as not to get himself too far out of position, over-relying on the recovery abilities afforded by his ranginess and long reach. As this season has progressed, however, things seemingly clicked on a more regular basis.
In addition to his burgeoning abilities to impose his will in denying oppoing entries into the Flyers' zone and triggering breakouts, Myers has some still-nascent NHL-level offensive upside. He has a very heavy shot, but still can improve the timing of his release and his ability to get the puck on net rather than getting blocked or missing the net.
Myers suffered a fractured right kneecap on March 7. In his case, the NHL pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic was a blessing in disguise. He returned at full strength for the round-robin and the Eastern Conference playoffs.
"We're happy to have Phil signed for the next three years. 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," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in the team-issued statement.