Tyler Myers, who has already missed the last 39 games, will be out at least another 6 – 8 weeks after undergoing surgery yesterday, Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice revealed. The news was announced via the team’s official Twitter account.
At best, Myers will be back around the third week of March, giving him approximately 11 games to shake off the rust. At worst, there may only be a couple of games remaining on the schedule and if the Jets are out of postseason contention at that point, they may decide to pull the plug on a return altogether.
It’s been a disappointing campaign for the 6-foot-8 rearguard, who has appeared in just 11 games on the season for the Jets with two goals and five points. Myers was originally acquired by Winnipeg as part of a February 2015 trade with Buffalo that saw winger Evander Kane head to the Sabres. He registered nine goals and 27 points in 2015-16, his first full campaign as a member of the Jets. He won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2009-10 after a 48-point campaign as a 20-year-old with Buffalo.
The Jets still have talent on the blue line, with Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom and Jacob Trouba all capable, top-four defenseman. However, Myers’ absence has obviously impacted the team’s depth and the Jets could use some help on the third pair, which has struggled at times this season. The situation could prompt the Jets to look to the rental trade market to add a depth defender in the event the worst case scenario plays out and Myers misses the rest of the regular season.