For years, Sabres fans have hoped that Tyler Myers would develop into the next Chris Pronger, or Zdeno Chara, but so far that dream hasn’t panned out.
Well, would you settle for Shea Weber instead?
According to a report from WGR’s Paul Hamilton, Myers spent some time this summer hanging out with the all-star Weber, picking his brain on how to use his big frame and strength to play with more nastiness in the defensive zone. That nastiness is something that doesn’t seem to come naturally to Myers, but it’s something that, when he displays it, adds an important missing element to his game, and one that you find in most of the Norris Trophy candidates each year.
In order to facilitate that style of play, Myers spent the summer trying to add more strength, but according to both he and Lindy Ruff, it doesn’t come easy to the man they call The Big Easy. From Myers:
It’s one of my biggest frustrations. Putting on weight and getting stronger will help my game it’s just with my body frame it’s been a slow process and I’m just going to have to keep working that much harder in season to maintain what I gain in the summer and that way I can start making bigger gains as I get older.
The strength gain Myers is working towards isn’t just so he can hit harder and shove guys around in front of the crease, it’s also to increase his endurance, allowing him to play with pep in the tank on every shift, all season long, something both he and Ruff agreed was missing in his game last season, especially early on. For a 23-year old looking to play with more consistency, it’s something that will certainly come in handy during this shortened season.
A stronger, smarter, nastier Tyler Myers? Sounds like a good way to spend your summer vacation to me.