Rangers Brainstorm To Get Keith Yandle
Earlier this afternoon, the official New York Rangers twitter account posted this:
AV was not on ice during #NYR practice, says he was in meetings "if you can improve your team you certainly will take a look at it"
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 1, 2015
From those meetings, a trade involving the Rangers and Arizona Coyotes was struck:
The trade was confirmed by hockey insider Darren Dreger. On his twitter account (@DarrenDreger), he sent out this:
So complete deal Yandle and Summers and a 4th for Duclair, Moore a 1st (2016) and a 2nd in 2015. Yotes retain 50% of Yandle's salary.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 1, 2015
The Rangers were looking for help on the blue line, and they potentially got it in Keith Yandle. For the season, he has 41 points (four goals, 37 assists) in 63 games played. His not-so-glowing stat is his +/- rating (-32). However, that was on a struggling Coyotes team this season. With Yandle’s addition, that stat will hopefully improve on a team that is heating up at the right time of the season, aside from the 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last night. As part of the trade, Coyotes agreed to pay half of Yandle’s salary.
In addition, the Rangers will receive another defenseman in Chris Summers and a 4th round draft choice in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The 27-year old was drafted 29th overall in 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes. In 47 NHL games, Summers has two goals and four assists.
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The Coyotes get a potential superstar in Anthony Duclair. Originally a 3rd round draft choice in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, he made his NHL debut last October out of training camp. Duclair was known for his brilliant season in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. There, he played three seasons, being more than a point-per-game player in two of those. Last season, he posted 99 points in 59 games, including 50 goals. This could have been more, if it were not for his late season concussion injury. This season, Duclair played in 18 games, registering one goal and seven points.
Along with Duclair, the Rangers send defenseman John Moore, a 2016 second-round draft choice, and a first-round draft choice in 2016. In Moore, the Coyotes will be getting a hard-nosed defenseman who is unafraid to jump into the offensive zone. For the season, he registered one goal and six points with a + 6 rating. Unfortunately, his inconsistent play and defensive rotation with Matt Hunwick may have caused him to be expendable. However, Moore had a two-game point streak, including a go-ahead goal in last night’s loss to the Flyers.
(Writer’s note: Per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily news, the first round pick to Arizona is a “conditional” one. Meaning the Coyotes will receive the Rangers first round pick in 2016, if the team reaches the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. If they do not, then the Coyotes will receive the Rangers’ first round pick in 2017.)
For further details on this trade, click here for James O’Brien’s article on prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com.
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