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The cup may have been won, but that does not mean hockey news has stopped! Rangers forward Keith Yandle will become an unrestricted free agency in July; a situation many other NHL players will find themselves in come July. A UFA like Yandle would have the ability to choose any team to recommend himself to. Since New York has a lot of free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, General Manager Jeff Gorton decided to trade Yandle and his rights to the Florida Panthers before free agency began. In return, the Rangers received a 2016 sixth round draft pick and a conditional 2017 fourth round draft pick from the Panthers.
Yandle was a fan favorite as they saw that he loved the fans and wanted play in New York. Yandle even wrote a piece on the Players’ Tribune trying to rally the fans and his teammates during playoffs this past year. Acquired from the Coyotes for Anthony Duclair in March 2015, Yandle started to make his impact on and off the ice. He had a fun, sometimes goofy personality and friendships with teammates that fans were able to see in videos posted by NY Rangers Official Fan Community Blueshirts United. Not only did he seem like a good person, but he was a consistent player. Yandle had 42 assists and 47 points this past season.
New York has a lot of contracts to handle in July, especially with their younger players. Players like J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider, and Kevin Hayes are all restricted free agents due to their age. Young players like these are the future of the Rangers organization so beneficial decisions for next season and beyond need to be made. Gorton and the Rangers management are going to have to make adjustments to the roster in Yandle and Boyle’s absence, as it is possible Boyle is retiring this year. We could see a possible rebuild in the making as Gorton said any and all players are on the trading block. It is very likely they are searching for a consistent offense, something the team lacked in the 2015-2016 season. Regardless of what changes need to be made to the team, Keith Yandle will certainly be missed as a Blueshirt.
July will be buzzing with player news due to free agency and the draft so be sure to check back with us!
