It’s a fascinating and fairly unique debate surrounding one of the Rangers’ most enigmatic players.
To trade Keith Yandle, or not? The situation could be a predicament and it could be a huge trading chip.
Here the Rangers have an in-his-prime puck-moving defenseman, paying only half of his salary cap hit ($2.625 million) who, theoretically, would be a perfect fit for the type of system employed by coach Alain Vigneault.
Yet a significant decision is necessary between now and the Feb. 29 deadline because Yandle will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and will surely command $6 million or more on the open market. Up against the salary cap now, the Rangers, even if they shed contracts, probably can’t afford to re-sign him.
“At this point I know he is one of our six defensemen and when Yands is on top of his game and moving the puck he is a very good player,” Vigneault said Tuesday. “I’d like him to be a Ranger and help us win.”
On the one hand, they gave up a ton to get Yandle – top prospect Anthony Duclair and a lottery-protected first-round 2016 pick (which was payment for the Coyotes picking up half of Yandle’s cap hit), plus a second-rounder and defenseman John Moore. The Rangers also got a fourth-rounder and minor-league defenseman Chris Summers.
Do they really want to let Yandle walk for no return this summer?
On the other hand, if the Rangers feel they have another run at a Stanley Cup in them – and they probably feel that way given the mediocrity that fills the Eastern Conference, other than Washington, aren’t they better off holding onto Yandle? Especially if he’s playing well?
That trade was made as the Rangers – a season after going to the Stanley Cup Final and during a season in which they were the best team in the league – were swinging for the fences trying to win a title. And who knows, if they hadn’t had four injured defensemen, including Yandle, maybe they survive Game 7 of the Eastern Final and play Chicago for the trophy last June.
So along those lines, it was possibly a risk worth taking – knowing full well that whatever Duclair (and the first-rounder) becomes could make it a disaster if they didn’t win the Cup.
While he was hardly the difference-maker he was advertised to be last season or early this season, Yandle played well in the playoffs and had been a productive contributor this season. But he’s also been wildly inconsistent. He played one of his worst games of the season Sunday in a loss at Washington, then perhaps his best game Tuesday in a win over Vancouver.
“Sometimes it takes a game where you have to look yourself in the mirror and I thought we did a good job responding from our last game in Washington,” Yandle said, speaking about the team, but providing a glimpse into his own mind-set.
“In Keith’s case, his game in Washington wasn’t to his liking,” Vigneault added. “We discussed it this (Tuesday) morning and he knew we were expecting a big bounce-back game on his part, which we did get (vs. Vancouver). He was real solid with the puck. I thought he beat their forecheck any time they wanted to establish it. It allowed us to come out of the zone clean. That’s what we need from him on a nightly basis.”
Yet there is the idea that Yandle, if he’s to be a significant factor, shouldn’t be playing third-pair minutes, and – worse – on the second power play unit, as he most often does.
He is clearly their third best defensive lefty defenseman, behind Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal, but could he do more with more minutes, more opportunity? On Tuesday he played 23:33, just behind McDonagh’s 24:26, and well ahead of Staal’s 14:47.
His 22 assists lead the team, despite his ice time, and there are nights, like Tuesday, when he has the puck all night.
Yandle has said that he loves it in New York, has said he’s been “fully invested” since he got here, and that he’d like to stay. He knows the realities, and this is hardly the first time his name has been thrown around leading up to trade deadlines. Gorton has said he has had conversations with Yandle’s agent, but the fact is pretty obvious that it will be tough to fit him onto next year’s payroll, and beyond.
Yes, he’s a pick-six waiting to happen a lot of the time, though his stretch passes are often effective and, more importantly, exactly what the Rangers lack in their attempt to play Vigneault’s system and utilize their speed, which has been neutralized by the inability of the defense to make that first pass up ice.
Contenders needing some skill on the back end would gladly give up prospects or picks for Yandle, maybe even a first-rounder. That doesn’t help the Rangers this year. They’re not rebuilding unless the bottom falls out in the next six weeks.
So maybe they trade him, if they trade him, for another rental type, perhaps for a veteran forward with an expiring contract who can help during the coming post-season, then walk away.
These six weeks will tell.
Photos by Getty Images.
Twitter: @RangersReport.
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