Lightning Believe in Myers After Defensive Losses

From the moment of his acquisition, it seemed clear that the Tampa Bay Lightning had a plan for Philippe Myers. While many believed that the 6-foot-5 defenseman was destined to be bought out since his contract allowed for some creative accounting that would actually give the Lightning a cap credit instead of a negative when bought out, Tampa Bay instead believed that the 25-year-old still had room to grow into his game.

After the 2022-23 buyout period passed, Myers remained on the Lightning’s roster. This continued through training camp, as he played well enough to secure a place on their opening night roster (despite being placed on waivers for cap reasons.) In fact, before he even played his first regular season game in Tampa Bay, they signed him to a one-year, $1.4 million extension, showing that they believe in him enough to commit to two seasons of his play.

With the season underway, Myers has seemingly locked down a starting role on the Lightning’s third pairing. While it appears that he won’t be heavily relied upon at first, the opportunity will be there for him to grow into the player that many believed he could be. So that begs the question… what is the best-case scenario for a player like Myers while playing with Tampa Bay?

Myers Has a Low Ceiling But a High Floor

When it comes to a depth defenseman, there’s only so much that the Lightning can expect. Myers isn’t going to be a powerplay quarterback or a minute-munching defender who you throw out against the opponent’s best lines. Even when he finds a consistent role with the franchise, expectations should remain limited as he will play sheltered minutes that will minimize his impact on the ice, both positively and negatively.

That doesn’t mean that Myers won’t be an important player for the Lightning, however. Every team needs those depth defensemen to fill out their lineup, and he could be a perfect, low-cost fit.