Sabres Lock Up Myers

The Buffalo Sabres have followed in the footsteps of the Islanders, in terms of giving one of their top potential restricted free agents an extension before it becomes too late and negotiations turn strenuous. The Sabres locked up hulking defenseman Tyler Myers to a new 7-year deal, worth $38 million, which works out to be a $5.5 million cap hit per season, which begins in the 2013 season.

Myers, the Calder Trophy winner in 2010, has had two good seasons with the Sabres and is developing quite nicely into a figure on their blueline, which looks a lot like another Chris Pronger in the making.  In the 2011 regular season, Myers finished with 10 goals and 27 assists in 80 games, which ranked him 32nd among all defensemen.  His 2011 numbers were down from his Calder-winning season of 48 points in 82 games, but still good nonetheless.

The 21-year old defenseman will likely be paired up with Robyn Regehr for the better part of the upcoming season, which gives the Sabres some massive size on one of their top pairings, not to mention Myers' offensive abilities, so he'll be developing at a fine rate again in 2012.  I have his numbers returning to the mid-40s, which should put him back in the conversation of being one of the top defensemen in the league.