Yandle to Rangers
As expected, the Coyotes have traded Keith Yandle.
Yandle goes to the Rangers for a ton. The Coyotes get defenseman John Moore, prospect Anthony Duclair, a 2016 first round pick and a 2015 second round pick.
They pay half of Yandle's remaining salary and also send Chris Summers and a fourth.
John Moore
John Moore is a former first round pick of the Blue Jackets. Selected 21st in 2009, he has played in 38 games with the Rangers this season and has six points. He's big (6'3, 220) and can move the puck. He has put up a CF of 55% this season.
Anthony Duclair
Duclair briefly made the Rangers out of camp this year even though he still had junior eligibility. Considering he was a third round pick in 2013, that is insane and incredibly unlikely.
Duclair had a "draft year from hell" and fell from being a potential first round pick all the way to the third round. Since his draft year he has exploded, scoring 50 goals last year in junior and then making the Rangers - before being returned after 18 games - this year.
He put up 8 points ( 4 goals) in seven games while helping team Canada to gold in this year's World Juniors.
He is a fast, tough, dynamic winger. This is an excellent acquisition.
Overall, the Coyotes added a good defenseman who is young and fits in well with the OEL/Murphy/Gormley/Stone group. Losing Chris Summers, who was on waivers several times this year is negligable, as is paying some of Yandle's salary since neither this year nor next do the Coyotes have to worry about the salary cap.
They also get a potential star winger, a first round pick and a second. It appears that the Coyotes' GM Don Maloney just absolutely fleeced Glen Sather and I am very happy with this return. I was constantly warned that I would be disappointed in the return on Yandle, but clearly this is not the case.
The Rangers don't do badly here either. It's a lot to pay, but they do get way better right now.
Coyotes might have lost nine games in a row, but they're killing the trade market.
--------
Follow @james_tanner123 Since +/- is the NHL's worst stat, I thought it would make sense to appropriate it and make it useful as we review the best and worst of the past week in the NHL.
PLUS: In case you missed it, the Coyotes traded Vermette to the Blackhawks for their 2015 first rounder and 23 year-old defensemen Klas Dahlbeck.
Now, I don't know the first thing about Klas Dahlbeck, but any time you can add a guy named Klas to your organization, I think it's been a good day. He's a big, three zone defenseman who has 35 points in the AHL this year and even played a few games with the Hawks.
How good can he be? I don't have a clue, but you can never have too many defenseman (especially Swedish ones) or too many first round picks. The pick would be 20th over-all if the season ended today.
I think this is a pretty great return for a 32 year old UFA who averages a half point per game. Maybe on a third line in Chicago he'll be more effective, but he was constantly outmatched playing top line minutes in Arizona.
PLUS: To the Bruins, who beat the Coyotes 4-1, extending their losing streak to nine games. I hate to do this, but I've just openly embraced cheering against the team. Winning serves no purpose, losing does.
PLUS:Trade Deadline Day. Actually, the whole two weeks leading up to it has been pretty fun. I remember when I was in high-school I used to stay home from school on deadline day and I would try to hide in my room until my Dad went to work, but he'd always bust me.
MINUS: I think it's too risky for the Hawks to pay so much for Vermette and Timonen in light of the Patrick Kane injury. I see how they don't want to give up and waste a year - but they are still a worse team now then they were last week and now they don't have any picks.
PLUS:The Leafs trading David Clarkson. Wow. I still can't believe this happened.
PLUS: To the Hurricanes, for passing the Leafs and staying well ahead of the Coyotes.
MINUS:I just realized that it's been nine years and counting since the last Tool record. That is idiotic and I wonder why I even care at this point. But I do. The guys in that band have to be close to senior citizens now, so it should be interesting to see how their new album is, should it ever come into existence.
MINUS:The number one record in the country - Drake - is not available in physical copy and I would like to buy it. I think that is stupid. Who pays for electronic copies, and also, why would anyone want to? To me half the fun in the packaging and the booklet. I realize most people probably don't care, but I think its sad that you can buy a record on your computer without going to the actual store.
MINUS: To the Sabres for blowing a two goal lead yesterday and losing. They could have been just two points back of the Coyotes.
PLUS: Prince. The best.
MINUS:UFC. The worst.
MINUS: The trade deadline is exciting, especially when both teams that you follow closely are crap and bound to make a ton of trades, but it's really weird to cheer for your favorite players to get traded (example: Yandle) and it sucks to cheer for the teams to lose. Last night the Leafs played the Canadiens , my whole family was together and we didn't even watch it. Usually, there'd be people all over the room, not enough chairs, people sitting staggered on the stairs like they were bleachers and ever one drunk and screaming at the TV.
But you don't get that level of excitement when your team is competing for last place.
PLUS: Spring Training is starting up. This is good because not only is baseball fun, but it signals the end of the worst season I've ever had to watch of the NHL and it means the snow will finally melt and it will be warm again. I just realized February is over. Good. ___ February. It's been winter here since late August, so I could really use some sun and warmth.
Thanks for reading.