New York Rangers, Mats Zuccarello
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The New York Rangers severed ties with Keith Yandle as  they traded  him to Florida for draft picks. Here are the reasons why it’s a good move.

The New York Rangers severed ties with defenseman Keith Yandle earlier this evening and fans are clearly divided on the issue.

On one side of the spectrum, Rangers fans are  very disappointed by the departure of the soon-to-be 30 year old defenseman. There were plenty of talks at the deadline about Yandle being moved, but nothing ever came of it.

The Rangers inaction made it clear that they weren’t interested in Yandle.

On the other end of the spectrum, where yours truly is currently at, are the optimists. This move puts the Rangers in a better situation than they were before this day began.

For starters, let’s be real.

Everyone knows what happens to defenseman who are over 30 years of age in this NHL. Some players even reach this age seemingly before they should (Marc Staal anyone?).

And that’s exactly why this move is the smart move for the Rangers.

Yandle’s cap hit was $5.25 million, one of the cheapest of the defenseman on the team.

The move does alleviate some of the money issues that undoubtedly handcuffed the Rangers for the past few seasons. This includes players who were making too much for their level of production. 

The draft picks should also mak this move more attractive.

Any change from the current status quo is a postive for this Rangers’ team, because the future does seem bleak.

The Rangers cannot waste the prime of players like Henrik Lundqvist while their windows continue to close. This is exactly why a prep for the future is necessary.

The 2016 NHL Draft will begin and the Blueshirts will not have a single pick until the third round. However, thanks to the Yandle trade there is a fourth round pick in the Rangers’ grasp.

Included in the deal was a conditional pick for the 2017 draft if Yandle is signed by the Florida Panthers.

As previously stated, any youth that could potentially be injected into this team would be a positive with Pavel Buchnevich being a perfect example.

Another reason the Yandle move works out for the Rangers is this; a younger defensive group is starting to show.

Dyaln McIlrath and Brady Skjei seem to now have a spot in the line up that Boyle is said to be retiring and Yandle will now be soaking up the sun rays in Florida.

With Yandle leaving, the Blueshirts’ defensive pairings could look something like this:

McDonagh-Girardi
Staal-McIlrath
Skjei-Klein

Having said that, the Yandle move proves that anything could happen moving forward. No one of this Rangers’ roster is safe.

At the end of the day, the Rangers finally made a move. This signifies the start of the offseason for the Blueshirts and if they play their cards right, it could be a very fun offseason.

After all, preseason is only 98 days away.

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I love watching sports, specifically teams in New York. I'll root for all New York teams, but the New York Rangers and hockey are my number one. I am an avid hockey fan and enjoy expressing my opinion on the Blueshirts, when they are playing good and bad.