Maple Leafs’ Philippe Myers didn’t take advantage of his opportunity this season
The 29-year-old Myers holds a cap hit of just $850,000, which runs through next season as well. In an ideal world, Myers would be banging down the door for more playing time, by showcasing a consistent work ethic, keeping his game simple, and impacting the game in all three zones, but there was a lot left to be desired this year.
How the season went
For the most part Myers stayed among the bottom pair this season when he did dress, with the odd time seeing a bigger role in Toronto’s top four, but unfortunately, his inconsistent play wasn’t something Berube could trust on a regular basis. Myers continued to leave you wanting more, given his size, booming shot and smooth skating abilities.
Philippe Myers vs NHL
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Category |
NHL Avg. by Position |
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Max Skating Speed • MPH |
21.59 |
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Speed Bursts Over 20 MPH |
29 |
31.3 |
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Skating Distance • MI |
79.11 |
133.18 |
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Hardest Shot • MPH |
88.92 |
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Shots On Goal |
42 |
62.1 |
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Shooting % |
0.0% |
6.1% |
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Goals |
0 |
3.8 |
|
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Offensive Zone Time (EV) |
39.5% |
42.2% |
All stats on via NHL Edge.
You’d think with Myers’ booming shot, and the Leafs power-play struggles early on this season that he’d get a shot at some time with the man advantage, but that wasn’t the case at all. Myers special teams usage was that he averaged one minute per game shorthanded, and not a lick on the power play.
Statistical profile
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Expected goals for percentage |
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All stats on 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick, Myers played 521 minutes 5v5.
Add in the fact that Tanev will be healthy for training camp in September and there’s certainly a chance that Myers doesn’t make next year’s team, or is once again the seventh defenceman. There’s going to be a lot of pressure to overhaul the team’s blueline this summer once the new management regime is in place, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for Myers.
Given the fact there’s a legitimate retool coming, I’d hold off on buying any Myers’ jerseys this summer. He failed to reach his potential in his second season as a Maple Leaf, and didn’t contribute enough to make a consistent impact on the games he dressed in. Myers had a very down year at both ends of the rink, and it’s very likely the Maple Leafs find some new talent this offseason, which is going to push Myers down the depth chart even more, and likely out of Toronto’s plans for 2026-27.
Select highlights
Benoit was pushing Myers like a bobsled off the ice 😂