LEWISTON — At only age 19, Tyler Myers boasts an accomplished past and an even more exciting future.

Myers, Buffalo’s towering 6-foot-8, 220-pound rookie defenseman, is hopeful of grabbing one of the Sabres’ top seven slots along the blue line in October after a highly successful year with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League.

“I’m going to come into camp this year and work for a spot on the team,” the Sabres’ 2008 first-round pick (12th overall) said earlier this week at the team’s rookie camp. “I’m going to do everything I can both on and off the ice and do the best I can.”

It’s been a whirlwind six months for Myers. In January he won a gold medal with Canada at the world junior tournament, and in May he was named the MVP of the WHL playoffs. He led the Rockets to the league title and a berth in the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup championship after recording a career-high 42 points in 58 games while posting an impressive plus-31 mark.

A day after garnering those MVP honors, he signed his first NHL contract, a three-year, entry-level deal.

“It was a very good year, and I was very happy with it,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement, and if they do send me back to Kelowna it’s a great place to play and improve.”

The Sabres already have said they are going to take a long look at Myers when training camp starts in September. General manager Darcy Regier also has indicated that he is trying to make trades to improve his club, and moving a veteran like Henrik Tallinder or Toni Lydman in a potential deal would create an opening that Myers would have a legitimate shot at filling.

“It’s always nice to hear things like that coming from the Sabres,” Myers said. “Whenever you do hear things like that it make you want to work even harder.”

Since being drafted a year ago, Myers has grown another inch and added 10 pounds. He would eventually like to stack on another 10 pounds to help offset some of his lankiness.

“Hopefully I’m slowing down here (with my height), and hopefully I can start growing outward,” he said with a smile.

Teenagers playing in the NHL are rare, let alone teenage defensemen. But Myers is out to prove that age is just a number.

“I look at it as if the person’s ready to play, I’d keep him,” he said. “They’re going to decide if I’m ready or not. Whatever they decide for me, I’ll accept.”