The Rangers aren’t likely to be able to re-sign defenseman Keith Yandle, an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so they dealt his negotiating rights to Florida for a sixth-round pick in Saturday’s NHL draft. The Rangers will get a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Panthers if Yandle signs with Florida.
It’s a good move to recoup a tiny bit on a trade that can/will turn out to be a disaster, depending on what Anthony Duclair becomes. Then-Rangers GM Glen Sather dealt a first-round pick, top prospect Duclair, and John Moore to Arizona for a year-plus worth of Yandle, minor-league defenseman Chris Summers and a fourth-round pick on March 1, 2015.