NHL Entry Draft: Sabres take 6-foot-7 Myers at No. 12, then 5-9 center Ennis at No. 26
Height of expectations
Buffalo trades up to pick imposing defenseman
OTTAWA — To say Tyler Myers stands out is an understatement. The guy is huge. At 6-foot-7 — yes, 6-foot-7 — Myers is easily the tallest prospect in the NHL draft. When he took the stage Friday night after being selected 12th overall by the Sabres, he towered over the Buffalo entourage. The top of coach Lindy Ruff’s head barely reached Myers’ shoulders, and that was the closest anyone got.
Well, the Sabres said they wanted to get bigger. They got the biggest. They filled two needs with their first selection in Scotiabank Place, adding defensive depth and size to an organization that was, um, short in both.
The Sabres moved up one spot to get Myers, sending the 13th selection and next year’s third-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for No. 12.
The Sabres kept their 26th pick and used it on Tyler Ennis. The Medicine Hat center is more in the Buffalo mode, small and ultra-quick at 5-9, 160 pounds.
“They’re really different, but they’re exciting,” Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said.
Myers, who just finished his second season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League, can’t walk into a room without getting noticed — or without hearing a Zdeno Chara comparison. The Boston Bruins defenseman is 6-9, but he’s got about 70 pounds on Myers, who weighs 205.
“I think every meeting I’ve had there’s been that comparison to Chara, and I’ll take that comparison any day,” Myers said. “He’s definitely a guy I watch to see how he plays the game because of our similar body types. I feel I want to skate more than he does, so I’ll see what happens.”
Myers looks like he belongs on a basketball court rather than a hockey rink, and if it weren’t for a move by his family, that might have been the path he took. The 18-year-old was born in Houston, and he lived there until he was 10. But his father, who works in the oil and gas industry, took a job in Calgary, and Myers’ love for the ice grew even stronger.
“If I hadn’t made the move, I’d probably be holding a basketball right now down in Texas, so I’m very fortunate,” he said.
Myers, who has dual citizenship and played for Team Canada in this year’s world under-18 tournament, fell for hockey from the moment he saw it as a 6-year-old.
“My dad took me to a Houston Aeros game, and the next morning we were buying hockey equipment,” he said. “I fell in love with it right away, and I haven’t stopped.”
Myers lists his skating and tremendous reach as top attributes. NHL Central Scouting, which had him as the fourth-ranked North American skater, raves about his shot. But he’s still got work to do before turning pro.
“Definitely my tenacity in the defensive zone is one of the biggest things,” Myers said. “I think once I put on more weight that will come even more naturally than it does now. I’ll just keep improving, and that’s what I plan to do to make the NHL.”
He’s happy his chance will come with the Sabres, who were worried he’d be gone at 13. The Kings received an offer from another team looking to select 12th, but they worked a deal with the Sabres that allowed them to both get the players they wanted.
“It’s a pretty unbelievable feeling,” Myers said. “One of my coaches in Kelowna, Kim Gellert, is a scout for them, so it’s pretty special for him to draft me.
“I’m very excited right now, and I can’t wait to see what Buffalo is all about.”
Ennis’ favorite player is familiar to Buffalo fans. It’s Daniel Briere, and Ennis put up numbers like the former Sabres captain with 43 goals and 48 assists in 70 games.
“I was hoping to go to a team like Buffalo, and I just can’t believe it happened,” Ennis said. “I just like the way they play. They’re fast, they’re skilled and they’re an exciting team.”
Central Scouting, which had the Edmonton native ranked 31st among North American skaters, said he’s one of the most offensively skilled players in the draft. Regier lauded the 18- year-old’s courage in going into the corners and cutting to the net.
“I don’t worry about the size,” Ennis said. “I’m not intimidated. My drive has gotten me to where I am.”
Rounds Two through Seven will be conducted today, and Regier is targeting big forwards. He doesn’t expect to trade any players off his roster, at least not for now.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations,” Regier said, “and we’ll make sure that the pieces fit together, so we’ll take our time.”
