The New York Rangers have some big decisions to make when it comes to the future of defenseman Keith Yandle.
Playing in the final year of his contract, Yandle is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season and will likely be one of the top defensemen available on the open market, especially now that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has signed his new five-year contract extension to remain with the team. If the Rangers decide they don’t want to commit more money to their already expensive defense it’s possible they could look to move him before the trade deadline later this month rather than risk losing him for nothing other than salary cap space after the season. Though, as long as Ryan McDonagh is sidelined with a concussion the Rangers are not likely to put Yandle on the market.
The problem the Rangers would be facing if they lose Yandle, whether it be in a trade during the season or by letting him walk after it, is it would leave a substantial hole on their blue line that would not be easily filled. And make no mistake, losing Yandle would be a huge blow to the Rangers' lineup.
Yandle can be an easy target for criticism because of his style a play that doesn’t see him throw crushing body checks, block shots or play a traditional “shutdown” role. The focus generally shifts to the things he doesn’t do as a defenseman as opposed to the things he can do. And what he can do is move the puck and provide a spark to the offense in a way that not many other defenders in the league can. So far this season he is leading all Rangers blue liners in scoring even though he is sixth in ice time per game hasn’t always been the top option on the power play unit, even though it’s an area he has excelled in for most of his career. Even on Wednesday during the Rangers' 3-0 win against Pittsburgh he barely saw the ice during lone power play opportunity.
His skillset is not only a valuable asset to have on any team, it is an essential one. The best defense in the NHL isn’t spending all of your time collapsed around your own net blocking shots and defending your zone (though, the Rangers do plenty of that, too). It’s making sure the other team has to do that. If the Rangers don’t fully appreciate how good it is, they certainly will if — and when — he is not there.
You can't win in today's NHL if you don't have defensemen that are capable of joining the play offensively and quickly moving the puck out of danger in the defensive zone. When you look at the Rangers’ defense as it is currently constructed it is lacking anybody else that can pick up that role without Yandle. McDonagh is still the best all-around defenseman on the team, but he’s not quite the puck-moving presence that Yandle is. Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein certainly don’t possess that skill, while Girardi and Staal seem to be rapidly declining as they get older. Dan Boyle, the only other puck-moving presence on the team, is also a free agent after this season and not only turns 40 years old in July, but is a shell of his former self.
The issue the Rangers will be facing, assuming they want to keep him, is going to be finding a way to fit another big contract on their defense under the salary cap. Between McDonagh, Girardi, Staal and Klein the Rangers already have close to $19 million in cap space going to just four defensemen for at least the next three seasons. And that is a league where nobody knows how much (or how little) the cap is going to increase, and on a team that still has to work out new deals for young forwards like Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller.
So what options do the Rangers have?
Well, assuming they don't trade him before the deadline (and weaken their chances this year) they can let Yandle walk and try to replace that puck-moving presence with what will likely be an inferior player in free agency and likely just as expensive. They can trade more young assets and draft picks to find another player like him. Or they can move a player like Girardi or Staal in a cap-clearing move and dedicate those resources to keeping Yandle.
Giradi and Staal still have strong reputations around the NHL because they have been very good players for a long time and are still viewed as "shutdown" defensemen. They would almost certainly be movable assets (if Dion Phaneuf can be traded, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal can be traded). But they are getting older and their games seem to be showing an awful lot of cracks, both in terms of numbers and the eye test, while their style of play isn't one that seems as if it would hold up well over time. Those contracts are going to look worse as time goes on.
If they don't, and they let Yandle walk, they're going to be in a tough spot this offseason needing to replace a valuable asset -- and the only one they have that can play an important role -- with no better alternative within the organization or, realistically, outside of it.
