After having his rights traded to the Florida Panthers earlier in the week, defenceman Keith Yandle has inked a deal with his new club. According to Pierre Lebrun, it is a seven-year contract, with a cap hit north of $6 million per season.
Keith Yandle has agreed to terms with the Florida Panthers: seven years and $6.35 million average per season
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) June 23, 2016
Keith Yandle Signs with Florida
Yandle, 30, has a pretty solid track record as a left-handed offensive defenseman. In his first full season with the New York 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).
Main Photo: PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 16: Keith Yandle #93 of the New York Rangers skates in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on April 16, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
