After spending parts of the last two seasons with the New York Rangers, Keith Yandle is on his way to the Florida Panthers. The soon to be unrestricted free agent is one of the top defencemen available on the market. The Panthers will have until July 1st to get a deal done with the veteran blueliner.
.@FlaPanthers getting the negotiating rights to UFA defenseman Keith Yandle for a draft pick as well as a conditional if he signs.
— –George Richards– (@GeorgeRichards) June 20, 2016
Rangers move Yandle’s rights to Panthers for sixth round pick and another conditional pick. Likely on basis he signs in Florida.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) June 20, 2016
Keith Yandle Traded to Florida
Yandle will be entering his age-30 season with a pretty solid track record as a left-handed offensive defenseman. In his first full season with the Rangers, he potted five goals and 47 points. He led the Rangers blueline brigade by 13 points and placed 4th overall on team scoring. This was his sixth straight season with 40+ points not counting the 48-game lockout-shortened season when he tallied 30 points. Durable with the best of them, the 6’1″, 196-pound Yandle carries an active streak of 551 consecutive games played, second to current iron man Andrew Cogliano.
Offensive Skill
The former Moncton Wildcat is an average possession player (50.4% CF% in career). He can struggle defensively at times, but makes up for it with his stretch passes and play making. He is especially dangerous on the man advantage. How important was he to the Ranger power play? He notched 22 points in 5v4 situations, tied for first on the club with Derick Brassard and 12th among defensemen in the entire league.
A fourth round pick of the Coyotes in 2005 (105th overall), Yandle is a two-time all-star with a solid playoff pedigree. Suiting up for five runs at the Cup, he’s made two Conference Finals appearances. He has also tallied six goals and 31 points in 51 total games. He also was one of the centerpieces in a deal between New York and Arizona that netted the latter Anthony Duclair, a 2015 second round pick that became Oliver Kylington, and a first round pick in this year’s draft (20th overall).
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