It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers are stacked with many promising defensemen for the future with Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Sam Morin, Robert Hagg, and Mark Alt. However, if you hear the name Philippe Myers, you might not think that he is a part of that company. Many fans haven’t even heard of Myers’ until last year, but the defenseman had a breakout season last year in the QMJHL.
Look Out For Philippe Myers In Training Camp
Undrafted Defenseman to Breakout Prospect
Myers, who went undrafted in 2015, was signed by the Flyers back on September 21, 2015. Something that stood out to the Flyers in particular about Myers was that he is a big body on the blue line, and also the fact that he is a right-handed shooting defenseman.
At 19 years old, Myers had a breakout season in 2015-16 with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies with 17 goals and 28 assists, an impressive jump from the previous year when he scored only 8 points overall in 60 games. Although he underwent hip surgery this offseason, Myers should be ready for training camp. He is another big defenseman at 6’5″ and weighing in at 209 pounds, which helps bolster the Flyers already solid defensive prospect pool, adding some size to the mix.
Myers was not only the leading scorer for the Huskies during the playoffs with 18 points in 25 games, but also helped his team make it all the way to the Memorial Cup Final, before falling to the London Knights.
What makes Myers such a great steal for the Flyers? According to Broadstreethockey.com “Myers was one of the top defensemen in the QMJHL as an 18-year-old, and he presents a very impressive overall toolkit, including great skating and puckhandling ability for a 6-foot-5 defender. His skill level isn’t elite, but he’s coordinated and confident making offensive plays. He isn’t a high-end shutdown defender, but he can absolutely make stops with his body or reads”. The fact that he is a right-handed shot again is a huge factor that makes him stand out compared to other defensive prospects for Philadelphia. The only defenseman on the roster for the Flyers that shoots right-handed is Radko Gudas, so it is clear that the Flyers need to add to the right side of the blueline.
Myers, who has improved tremendously over the summer, is incredibly mobile which is surprising for a player his size (6’5″ and 205 pounds). Not only that but he is much more confident in himself as he very poised and calm. Myers does control the puck particularly well and instead of being that stay at home big defenseman, he can jump up into plays with the offense making him an effective two-way defenseman, something that could work to an advantage for head coach Dave Hakstol’s system.
More Experience Still Needed
Should fans expect Myers to crack the opening night roster for the Philadelphia Flyers? It is highly unlikely, but since he is 19 that means he will most likely return to the QMJHL for another season of development. Flyers fans should not worry about this because he is still very young, and it is going to be hard to crack the lineup when you already have names such as Provorov, and Sanheim on the verge of making it themselves. Myers’ time will come, but it most likely won’t happen within the next two seasons. Expect him to return to the Huskies this season, and once he turns 20, Myers could be on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to allow the young defender to adjust to the pro ranks, or at least until the Flyers need him most.
If you cannot wait until Training Camp starts, below is a video to show what Myers is capable of:
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