New York Rangers Need to Handle Yandle Situation
Nov 19, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle (93) skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
As soon as Keith Yandle was acquired at last season’s trade deadline by the New York Rangers, the masses started shouting that he was a year-and-a-half rental. At the beginning of this season, it was all but a certainty that the 29-year-old defenseman would not be back with the team next season, whether it be via a trade this season or free agency at seasons end.
However, a recent report by TSN reports that the Salary Cap could climb up to $74.5 million next season. This, obviously, would be great news for teams—such as the Rangers—with a tight cap. The Rangers have an abundance of RFA’s next summer—Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Kevin Hayes are the headliners—which was supposed to hamper their ability to re-sign Yandle.
With the cap (possibly) going up, the Rangers could find a way to keep all of their players, even though it would still likely take a trade for that to happen. But if the Rangers’ brass decides that Yandle is their number one priority—which it 100% should be, given the Rangers dwindling possession numbers—then they could go all-in on re-signing the offensive-defenseman, while possibly looking at trade options for some of their RFA’s.
When Mark Giordano signed a lucrative extension this summer, it left Yandle as one of the best, if not the best, defenseman in the 2016 free agent class. In the past, we have seen dollars get thrown around like confetti during free-agency, but last year, it appeared that NHL GM’s finally smartened up when handing out contracts. That could bode well for the Rangers, as Yandle might not get a long-term deal due to the fact that he will be 30 at the start of next season and has already logged a lot of miles in the NHL.
Much of the Yandle debate comes down to the two differing opinions that are in the NHL right now: those who study the analytics and those who insist the former “watch the games.” Luckily for you, I consider myself to be a hybrid of these two schools of thought.
New York Rangers
Yandle’s fancy stats aren’t that great this year, but considering that he plays for the second-worst possession team in the league, they might be as impressive as any player in the league. Per War-On-Ice, Yandle leads the Rangers in CF% (50.50), CF%Rel (6.70), and High-Danger scoring chances for (80) amongst players who have appeared in 10 games or more. He also leads Rangers defenseman in High-Danger scoring chances differential (1), once again only considering players who have played 10 games or more.
For the “watch the game” crew, there is no questioning that sometimes Yandle makes some questionable decisions with the puck. But when he makes those stretch passes from his own end, it is something beautiful to behold. Few defenseman in the league can rifle passes with such accuracy from so far away.
A big bonus for the Rangers could be if Dustin Byfuglien makes it to free agency. This would slide Yandle down to the second best defenseman on the market, thus giving the Rangers more of a chance to retain him.
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The Rangers—a team desperate for puck-movers—need to find a way to keep Yandle on Broadway. The declining play of Girardi and Staal have made re-signing Yandle a must. Sure, he makes boneheaded plays with the puck once in a while, but this team would be much less of an offensive threat if they don’t bring him back.