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Florida Panthers: Tyler Myers is a Good Backup Option to Jacob Trouba

By Jake Tucker

WINNIPEG, MB - APRIL 10: Tyler Myers #57 of the Winnipeg Jets follows the play up the ice during third period action against the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on April 10, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Blues defeated the Jets 2-1 to lead the series 1-0. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - APRIL 10: Tyler Myers #57 of the Winnipeg Jets follows the play up the ice during third period action against the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on April 10, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Blues defeated the Jets 2-1 to lead the series 1-0. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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While the Florida Panthers would like to try to acquire the rights to Jacob Trouba, a good backup plan for the blue line should be Tyler Myers.

For the past few years, the Florida Panthers have spent time and money to develop a roster that’s capable of making a run for the Stanley Cup. After hiring a new head coach in Joel Quenneville, the Cats are finally ready to put together the last pieces of the puzzle.

Even with their minor issues up front, the Panthers have to make some kind of move on the defensive side. After this past season – where the Panthers were 28th in goals against – the main issue that has to be addressed involves somehow correcting their flawed defensive game.

Of course, the defense is expected to improve tremendously just from the new minds behind the bench. After buying into Coach Q’s system, the team should be ready to keep the puck out of the net, something they found hard to do under their former head coach, Bob Boughner.

While the coaching will provide the strategic part of the defense, the Cats need a solid, right-handed defenseman for their lineup.

Across the NHL, there are only a few right-handed defensemen to go around. In the case of the Panthers, they are looking for a guy who has a more defensive mindset, rather than an offensive one.

The man at the top of Dale Tallon’s list has to be Jacob Trouba, a restricted free agent (RFA) from the Winnipeg Jets.

Since Trouba is an RFA, his rights are owned by the Jets and the only way the Panthers could get him is by trading for his rights.

Even though the Panthers might be a top candidate to land Trouba, there are plenty of other teams that would love to land his services. In the situation that he ends up somewhere else, the Panthers need to have a backup plan in place.

Whether it’s a superstar like P.K. Subban or an older option like Anton Stralman, the Panthers need to have some sort of alternative to Trouba.

In the case of the Cats, the main backup plan for a right-handed defenseman also comes from Winnipeg. He also comes into the offseason needing a new contract, but his situation happens to be a little different.

Tyler Myers, who is coming off of a seven-year deal, is now an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and is ready to hit the open market.

As a UFA, Myers isn’t owned by any team, which gives him the freedom to choose whatever team he most desires. Now, even though Myers would be a great idea, Trouba would be the ideal choice for the Cats. But if the Panthers don’t end up landing him, Myers should be their guy.

While the NHL has evolved from a slower aggression game to a faster skill game, every team still needs its big, intimidating player to scare the other team.

This can come in many shapes and sizes like a pure enforcer up front or just a tall, solid defenseman on the back end. This is exactly the role that Myers can fill with the Panthers.

Standing at 6′ 8″, Myers has sometimes been considered as the right-handed, younger version of Zdeno Chara in the NHL.

Having a large, physical guy like Myers on the blue line can give that physical mentality back to the Panthers’ blue line, something they haven’t had since the days of Erik Gudbranson and Alexander Petrovic being on the team.

As well, something the Panthers need is to have players on their roster that have playoff experience. The veterans can help guide the players through the grind of making and succeeding through the playoffs.

Guys like Roberto Luongo and Keith Yandle have done this for some time now and with the playoff experience he had up in Canada, Myers can only add additional experience to this team.

When it comes to the actual defensive part of the game, Myers can quietly contribute to a boost in offense from the defense.

For instance, if he’s playing with an offensive defenseman like Mike Matheson, while Myers gets the job done in the defensive zone, Matheson can skate up the ice and provide a fourth scoring option up front on the counter. While it’s a quieter benefit, Myers can contribute to the Cats by just playing his game.

dark. Next. Four Problems with Florida's In-Game Experience

In the upcoming offseason, the Florida Panthers need to try to add to their defense to prepare themselves for next season. While Jacob Trouba is the primary option for a new blueliner, a reliable backup can be Tyler Myers.

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