Paul Maurice has said that he will at least try Tyler Myers on his off side to start the season. This is an interesting decision based on the fact that Myers thrived last year in a reduced role and was solid when he was on his own side for the most part.
We've known it was a possibility all summer but Paul Maurice just said on 1290 that Tyler Myers will definitely play LD for at least a little bit this season.
The negative shot attempt swing most people go through on their off side doesn't immediately bode well, numbers wise.
— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) September 14, 2018
Defencemen all have sides that they are more comfortable playing. There are a few whom are talented enough to play both sides, but most of them thrive on one side over the other. It should come as no surprise then that Paul Maurice has decided to move Tyler Myers to his off side.
When at their best last season, the Jets ran a defence of:
Josh Morrissey/Jacob Trouba
Toby Enstrom/Dustin Byfuglien
Dmitry Kulikov/Tyler Myers
With Morrissey not yet signed and Enstrom back in Sweden, there are always going to be some changes to the make up of the group. If Morrissey is signed before the start of the season, it would make perfect sense to at least try Sami Niku, AHL Defenceman of the Year, beside Byfuglien and leave the rest of the pairings intact. While Kulikov/Myers might not be the best pairing in the world, they are a pretty good third pair and most teams would kill to have them there, at a reduced rate.
