On March 1st, 2015, the Rangers acquired Keith Yandle, Chris Summers, and a fourth-round pick for John Moore, Anthony Duclair, a 2016 second-round pick, and a conditional 2016 first round pick.
The New York Rangers will be reminded of the ugly deal when they visit the Coyotes in Arizona. Only one player exchanged in that deal will be on the ice, and he wont be wearing Rangers colors.
New York went all out in the 2015 deal. They gave up young talent and picks for Keith Yandle in hopes that he was the missing piece on the team.
Despite winning the Presidents’ Trophy that spring, the Rangers fell flat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Another deep run without a cup signified the loss of not only the season, but also the trade with the Coyotes.
New York Rangers’ Takeaways
Keith Yandle had a great year and half stint with the New York Rangers. In his first season, he tallied four goals and 18 assists for 22 points in 40 total regular season and playoff games. The following season, Yandle played all 82 regular season games and five playoff games for a total of 48 points.
His numbers were efficient, but the Rangers failed to make the Stanley Cup final with Yandle, and he signed with the Florida Panthers in the summer of 2016.
Chris Summers has only played six games with the Rangers since the trade. He has gone pointless and he is -2 in those six games. Unless the Rangers encounter injury trouble in the future, the 28-year-old will likely never become a regular guy in the NHL with the Rangers.
With the fourth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers selected Tarmo Reunanen from Finland. Reunanen can best be described as an offensive minded defenseman who can also handle himself well in his own zone.
Reunanen turns 19 this March, and he likely wont play a part until a few more years. Reunanen is currently playing in Finland, where he has six points through 29 games, with a plus/minus at +11.
Arizona Coyotes’ Takeaways
For the Coyotes, this deal worked perfectly into their rebuilding plan. They dealt Yandle at a time where he didn’t have nearly enough help to lead the Coyotes to the playoffs in the foreseeable future. In return, they received two high draft picks and a young scorer Anthony Duclair.
Last season, Anthony Duclair looked to be well on his way to stardom in the NHL. Through 81 games, the 20-year-old tallied 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points through 81 games. He even finished 10th overall in the Calder Trophy voting.
However, his performance has taken a turn this year. Through the first 31 games, Duclair has just one goal and four assists for five total points. It’s hard to put all the blame on Duclair for these numbers; the Coyotes are 28th in the league in goals this season.
While his production this season is discouraging, he has a lot of potential to play a a serious role with the Coyotes in the years to come.
John Moore only finished the 2015 season with the Coyotes, playing only 19 games. After that season, Moore signed with the New Jersey Devils and left the desert. Moore had only five points with the Coyotes, and a whopping -11.
Arizona Coyotes’ Conditional Pick Movement
The conditional first round pick and second round pick acquired from the Rangers was interestingly moved around. The Coyotes further traded these picks to the Detroit Red Wings in a package that included the rights to Russian veteran Pavel Datsyuk.
Datsyuk currently plays in the KHL, but if he were to ever return to the NHL, he would play for the Coyotes. Also included in that trade was Detroit’s first round pick. The Coyotes used that pick to take Jakob Chychrun.
The defenseman turns 19 this March, and he is already contributing at the NHL level. Chychrun has a goal and five assists with a -2 through 26 games this year. His -2 plus/minus rating is incredibly impressive considering he is playing on a team with a -33 differential which ranks 29th in the league. Not to mention, he is only 18.
Overall Review
As of today, all the New York Rangers have left from this deal is Chris Summers and the potential of Finnish defenseman Tarmo Reunanen; and most importantly, no Stanley Cup.
The Rangers’ takeaways can be summarized in one word: flat. Yandle did his part, but he never helped win a Stanley Cup and gave the Rangers nothing in return when he left. Chris Summers never had high expectations, but he has failed to surprise anyone.
Tarmo Reunanen has serious potential, but he wouldn’t be the first fourth-round draft pick to fall short of making an NHL impact. At the end of the day, the Rangers must have a lot of regret from making the deal.
The Coyotes walk away with Anthony Duclair and Jakob Chychrun; two huge pieces to their rebuilding puzzle. Duclair has a bright future in this league as a goal scorer. Chychrun has already established himself as an excellent defensive defenseman, and he has not yet turned 21. Not to mention, if Pavel Datsyuk has a change of heart and wants to return the play in the United States, the Coyotes will have him to add.
Next: Moves the Blue Line Station staff wish NYR could redo: Part 1
The Coyotes are the winners from the deal. The New York Rangers will certainly look back at this deal as a time where they missed out on developing a stronger base for the future.