New York Rangers Would Regret Trading Keith Yandle

If the New York Rangers wish to make any semblance of a playoff run this season, they need Keith Yandle.

Here’s another truth: if the Rangers want to solidify their defensive corps and power play for years to come, they need Keith Yandle.

Yandle, an impending unrestricted free agent this offseason, has been the subject of a lifetime’s worth of trade rumors this season. The Rangers have a well-documented tight salary cap situation, and questions of whether or not the Rangers will be able to afford him are founded.

That does not mean the Rangers should jump at the chance to trade Yandle. Although this is long overdue, head coach Alain Vigneault is finally increasing Yandle’s playing time on the power play and at even strength, and his impact on the ice as a result has been massive. Yandle leads all Rangers defensemen with 28 points. Imagine if Vigneault deployed him appropriately throughout the season as opposed to treating him like his sixth defenseman. How many more points would he have and how much better of a team would the Rangers be?

For too long, Yandle had been relegated to minimal duty, and the man advantage suffered immensely. Is it any coincidence that once Vigneault buried Yandle on the second power play unit, the man advantage turned into one of the worst in the league? Now, with Yandle being deployed more often on the first unit, the opportunity to get the power play fixed before playoff time is there.

Just look at the booming shot that tied the Rangers’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers this past Saturday with 12 seconds remaining. There hasn’t been a bigger goal all season long for the Rangers, and the impact of Yandle’s clutch play could be felt up and down the bench.  How is it possible that Vigneault waited so long to recognize the championship-caliber assets Yandle brings to the ice?

The Rangers’ defensive prospect depth is sparse at best. Brady Skjei will be ready for a full-time role next season, but he is not a traditional power play quarterback like Yandle. Beyond Skjei, the Rangers do not have anyone of Yandle’s caliber — or even the caliber of Ryan McDonagh — waiting in the wings. This makes it all the more important for the team to find a way to retain Yandle long-term, even if it takes creativity and/or the departure of another key player for cap reasons.