According to sources within the league, the Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement to send defenseman Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars. In exchange, the Canucks will acquire a second-round selection in the 2027 draft and a fourth-round pick in 2029. This transaction awaits final approval through a trade call with the NHL.
Myers, aged 36, has one season remaining on his current contract after the present one concludes, carrying a $3 million cap hit. Vancouver opted to retain 50 percent of his salary in the trade, effectively making Myers a $1.5 million player for the remainder of this season and the entirety of the next. It is crucial to highlight that Myers possessed a full no-movement clause for the 2025-26 season, which he waived to facilitate his move to Dallas; this clause will transition into a 12-team modified no-trade clause for the 2026-27 campaign.
Known for his prowess as a shutdown defender, the right-handed shot logged over 20 minutes per game for the Canucks this season, marking the 16th instance in his 17 NHL seasons that he has surpassed this benchmark. Throughout his seven seasons and nearly 500 appearances with the Canucks, Myers consistently served as a dependable, if occasionally unpredictable, top-four defenseman who commanded the trust and ice time from every head coach he played under.
A settled family man who spends his summers in British Columbia, Myers was a healthy scratch approximately 10 days before the NHL trade deadline, though he continued to participate in practices and pre-game warmups with the team. His absence from the lineup was profoundly felt. This unintentional “showcase” of Myers’ capabilities, observed from afar, served as a stark reminder of his understated yet significant contributions as a large, two-way defender capable of performing effectively in challenging minutes against elite opposition.
What Tyler Myers brings to the Stars
Despite being 36, Myers maintains his imposing 6-foot-7 frame and adeptly utilizes his reach and size within the defensive zone.
The blueliner, who clinched the Calder Trophy in 2010, exhibits moments of physical intensity and is typically deployed in a defensive capacity, although his primary five-on-five impact has historically skewed more offensively than defensively. He excels at patrolling the blue line and leveraging his extensive reach to thwart opposing entries into the defensive zone. This particular skill not only generates counterattacking opportunities for his squad but also clarifies why teams with Myers on the ice have generally produced more high-quality scoring chances.
The optimal strategy for Myers’ deployment involves minimizing scenarios where he is tasked with initiating offense as a puck carrier. While Myers possesses genuine skill as an in-zone contributor, occasionally even displaying dynamism when driving to the net (often employing a deceptive backhand shot), his decision-making as a puck handler and passer in the defensive zone tends to be inconsistent.
What this means for the Canucks
Vancouver’s primary objective at the trade deadline has been to accumulate as many potentially valuable future assets as possible to bolster its burgeoning rebuilding initiative. The resolution of the Myers trade successfully fulfills this aim.
While the compensation is not extraordinary, and Vancouver will utilize a retained salary slot for this season and the next, the 2027 second-round pick represents a solid asset for a 36-year-old blueliner who held a full no-move clause.
The Canucks had previously traded their own 2027 second-round pick to shed the Ilya Mikheyev contract in 2024, but they have now re-entered the second round of that draft class twice, holding both San Jose’s and Dallas’ picks for that year.
The Canucks now command a cumulative total of seven picks within the first two rounds across the 2026 and 2027 NHL Drafts. They are genuinely commencing the accumulation of the kind of draft capital surplus that is indispensable for any prosperous rebuilding endeavor. The fact that the organization also managed to retain 50 percent of Myers’ salary and secure a fourth-round pick in 2029 from this deal is an added benefit.
In summary, Canucks management has showcased its capability in this deal to navigate a complex, multi-faceted trade, which emerged from a week-long standoff involving themselves, Myers, Dallas, and at least one Eastern Conference team, all while securing legitimate future value. There is inherent value in this accomplishment, particularly considering the potential negative discourse in Vancouver had they failed to do so.
This story will be updated.