Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers is looking to put last season in the rear view mirror.
The 6-foo-8, 227-pound blue liner is coming off a year to forget scoring nine goals and 22 points to go along with a minus-26 rating in 62 games.
His poor season coupled with his seven-year, $38.5 million contract had GM Tim Murray looking to unload Meyers at June’s NHL Draft.
“They wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t listen to what other teams had to say,” Myers told The Buffalo News. “That comes with the game.”
It was a busy offseason for Myers.
The 24-year-old got married in July and had to use part of the summer to recover from broken ribs suffered at the end of the 2013-14 season.
“My focus throughout the entire summer was to get better for the Buffalo Sabres,” Myers said. “If a moment ever comes that I hear confirmation I’m not a Buffalo Sabre, then the mindset will change. But as of right now, I’m a Sabre and I want to be a Sabre.
“I’m really looking forward to starting this year, especially with the group of guys we have.”
As Myers looks to get back to the form, which saw him win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2010, he’ll have a familiar face in Josh Gorges to help him along.
Gorges and Myers both spent time with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.
“I know Josh a little bit from the Kelowna Rocket days,” Myers said. “Everyone knows what type of player he is, but the type of guy he is, he’s going to be a great addition to the dressing room.”
Myers, who is heading into his sixth season with the Sabres is confident in the direction the team’s rebuild is heading.
“After the season we had last year, the attitude we had coming in leading up to camp has been really good,” Myers said. “I haven’t seen playoffs for a while now. It’s something I think our group is heading in the right direction. It’s something I think we’re really working toward.
“For every guy in the room this year, there’s a belief in every guy’s mind that we can be a playoff team this year.”
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