What a week for Maple Leafs defenceman Philippe Myers.
Not only did he factor in two wins over the New York Islanders and could make a third straight start on Saturday at home against Boston, he signed a two-year contract extension with the club on Friday.
The 6-foot-5, 219-pound native of Moncton, N.B., will carry an AAV of $850,000 US as part of the new pact. He is playing on a one-year, $775,000 deal signed in the summer after a couple of seasons with sporadic appearances for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
His 11 games to date with Toronto, with one assist, bring him to 169 National Hockey League appearances, with stops in Philadelphia and Nashville.
But the undrafted blueliner has proven to be a vital part of a more physical defence for coach Craig Berube’s Leafs and his better-than-average shot has come close to a few goals.
Lately, he has replaced Conor Timmins in the lineup, partnering with Morgan Rielly. Myers, who is averaging 17:08 minutes of ice time this season, led the Leafs with four blocked shots in Thursday’s 2-1 win in New York.
After Oliver Ekman-Larsson overcame an illness, the Leafs returned defenceman Mrashall Rifai to the AHL Toronto Marlies on Friday.
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