Is Keith Yandle a Flyers possibility?
On Trade Deadline day, Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle might suddenly be available.
Is Keith Yandle a Flyers possibility?
UPDATE (3:05pm): Keith Yandle remained with the Phoenix Coyotes through the trade deadline. Expect the possibility of trade talks resuming at the Draft in June, since that's when the Flyers and Coyotes first opened dialogue last summer.
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TORONTO -- Heading into Wednesday's trade deadline, the Flyers' plan was to remain 'status quo' unless they could acquire a franchise-altering player to build the future around.
Phoenix defenseman Keith Yandle is that player - and he's suddenly on the market, after the tea leaves indicated on Tuesday that he was untouchable.
Yandle, 26, is that puck-moving No. 1 defenseman the Flyers - and nearly all 28 other teams - are craving. The Coyotes, though, will require nothing short of an absolute haul to move Yandle out of the desert.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has indeed be in touch with Coyotes general manager Don Maloney on Wednesday. This is not the first time the Flyers have inquired about Yandle over the years.
Yandle is tied for the Coyotes' team lead in points with 21. He has 8 goals and 13 assists this season, which would tie him for fifth on the Flyers in goals this season.
Yandle has 3 years and $16.5 million remaining on his contract. His salary cap hit is $5.25 million per season. The Flyers have enough salary cap space to add Yandle by adding more players, such as Andrej Meszaros, to the long-term injury list.
One name who would likely have to be heading out West is forward Sean Couturier, who was actually born in Phoenix while his father, Sylvain, was playing for the AHL's Roadrunners.
Couturier has seen an up-tick in his minutes - nearly 2 more minutes on average per game over his rookie season - and that is expected to increase with Max Talbot's injury leaving a hole on the penalty kill. The Flyers were looking for more out of Couturier offensively in his sophomore season, yet his numbers have gone down. He is averaging 0.08 less points per game (down to .27) and he has only 9 points in 33 games.
Couturier already has 110 career NHL games under his belt. I am not suggesting he has come anywhere close to reaching his ceiling, but the question needs to be asked: at which point is the book on Couturier written, causing his value to drop?
In some ways, Couturier's value may never be higher than it is as this very moment.
Does that mean the Flyers would be willing to part ways with the still-blossoming 20-year-old? It would likely be a surprise if Holmgren is willing to make that judgment call before 3 o'clock on Wednesday.
Even if Couturier is part of the asking price, Holmgren will have to listen and even strongly consider. Yandle is still young, he has been durable and hasn't missed a game since 2008-09, and he's a rare commodity in the NHL. He would instantly make the Flyers a more formidable foe - both now and over the next three seasons.
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If it's there Holmgren has to do it...We need D.— jon7173- Flyers acguired goalie Steve Mason from Blue Jackets. — Mean mean stride,mean mean pride
- If that's all it would take, it's a no brainer. This team won't win the cup this year but it would be nice to at least be able to watch them play some playoff hockey. It's sickening to watch the Rags and Pens get better and theFly Guys wander the ice aimlessly.— dj.curly
- I would do it.— MD20202020
- phoenix owes us a one-sided deal to our benefit.. they got barkley and schilling from us for practically nothing— zwarte piet
- Couts has been on the team for 2 years, he's a nice player that has shown flashes, but if he was an impact player, we'd know it by now. Yandle IS an impact player. Make the deal.— drbob1
- Be careful it will take more than Couts for this deal to go down.— honomugym
- Do it— blueye7
- This is why Couturier should have played in the Juniors last year and developed his game rather than being a 4th line center in the NHL. It seems like the organization has given up on him at age 20.— zeke128
- ...a lot more than couts....prob couts and a #1 pick at least to start. But, you get a proven commodity in Yandle vs trying to draft an unknown or "hoping" couturier turns into something. I'd do it. Solidify the D first as a priority...seems like you can always pick up a quality forward— philly thug
- I highly doubt a 20 year old can be judged yet to see if he has topped out as a player. A lot of players don't come into their own until they have 3 or 4 years under their belt. Prime example of such a player is Joe Thornton. First two season he had 48pts combined. Couts has 36pts. I'm not say Couts will be the next Thornton but I am saying Couts needs time and we need to be patient. Nobody knows what will happen.— RowdyRoddy
- Couts should not be traded. Problem is he wont play his best hockey for another 5 years...— cdedrick05
- Couts will get better. Hard for a 100 point guy in junoirs to do the same on a checking line. A sophmore slump is not an unsual thing in the NHL. That being said Yandle is worth looking at for sure. Just dont want to over pay for him.— jrBomber
- Couts is so young and has at least another 3 seasons to really get his game going at the NHL level, however, Yandle is a legit #1 defenseman with a very reasonable cap hit - tough decision here.— CTL
- The Flyers need to trade Holmgren. Maybe they can get a sack of hockey pucks for him.— DKNJ
