The Florida Panthers have made the major decision to move away from one of their veteran leaders. Appearing on TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Frank Seravalli states that the Panthers have told Keith Yandle that he is not in their plans for this season. This appears to be a mere personnel choice for Florida and new GM Bill Zito, as Seravalli reports that he has simply “fallen out of favor”.
However, Yandle’s current contract – a seven-year, $44.5MM pact with three years remaining – contains a full No-Movement Clause. He cannot be placed on waivers without his permission, nor can he be traded without approving the deal. As a result, the only plan for now appears to be making him a healthy scratch. While this will sadly mean the end of Yandle’s NHL-best 866-game “iron man” consecutive games played streak, he will still be a member of the team getting paid in full for his (lack of) services. That clearly cannot last for the Panthers.
Florida has overhauled their blue line this off-season, acquiring Radko Gudas and Markus Nutivaara and more recently claiming Gustav Forsling and Noah Juulsen off of waivers. They appear to content to move forward with this younger, new-look group. That should not however be read as an indictment of Yandle’s ability. The 34-year-old is still a very capable puck-moving defenseman who recorded 45 points in 69 games last season. In terms of per-game scoring, it was right in line with some of Yandle’s best offensive seasons. The veteran is obviously durable, but he is also consistent, good for 40+ points in each of his nine 82-game seasons. Yandle may be just 24 games away from 1,000 for his career, but he has not lost a step.
A skilled and experienced defenseman who is respected across the league and has shown no signs of slowing down, Yandle should draw trade interest. Even in a season where money is tight and trades are expected to be scarce, the chance to bring in a reliable play-maker like Yandle should intrigue a number of teams. Due to his high salary cap hit and extended term, the Panthers may be required to take back a bad contract or eat a significant portion of Yandle’s salary. However, they have put themselves in this position by publicly moving on from a good player who is still under contract with restrictive terms, hurting their bargaining power. How this situation shakes out will be a major story in the early part of this new season.
Yandle is a very good offensive defenseman, but isn’t very good in his own zone. His contract is a problem is a period of a steady cap and with his full no-movement clause, it makes a trade very difficult
Florida is a sham of an organization. this is a completely absurd way to deal with this.
Spot on. They have to put him, but won’t play him. At that price tag nonetheless. Is it the same GM that signed him?
Panthers hired a new GM this offseason. This contract is going into its 5th season out of 7 if I recall correctly.
Wrong Mr,. Negativity, this is the only way as his deal, a bad one from a horrible 1 year GM, should not stop the progress for this team. I don’t think trading him will happen, ( hopefully I’m wrong ) , but the numbers are bad for a lot of teams. If you don’t care for the team and organization, get off the site, go follow college hockey, another team, in other words fly away junior.
Keith Yandle, meet Loui Eriksson! Mr. Bill Zito seems to be very gung-ho in changing the image of the venerable Swamp Kitties. He has packed plenty of gas cans and blue tips for the mission. Yandle’s contract is already making this a messy divorce. The “good” teams that Yandle might want to go to probably don’t have enough room for him, even on 50% retention, and I can’t see a team parting with a valuable player (or two), for a 34-year-old D-man, whose play in his own end has caused this mess of a situation. This one’s ugly…
Yandle for Eriksson would be a fascinating trade, but I’m not sure the two teams can make it work. Both players have about the same annual cap hit $6.35M vs. $6.00M but Yandle has an extra year on his contract and the remaining cash outlays aren’t that close (note: their 20/21 bonuses have been excluded since they already received this):
– Yandle $2.75m / $5.25m / $5.25m for $13.25m in total
– Eriksson $1.00m / $4.00m / (UFA) for $ 5.00m in total
If Florida was willing to send money to match the cash payouts, then maybe. That extra year would be tough for Vancouver to consider through.
@Lars MacDonald – Sorry for the confusion, there. I actually wasn’t suggesting FLA and VAN swap players, but rather comparing their situations. They’re both a bit radioactive to their respective organizations…
Cant send cash in a transaction either.
Good offensively but bad defensively, already shipped out the worst offender in Matheson. The defense had to change in FL, have some really top talent with Barkov.
The Bruins should trade for him say
Moore
Bjork
Wagner
For
Yandle
A late round draft pick or swap
As a Bruins fan, I’ll pass. The Bruins need a left handed defenseman that can play against the other team’s best players. That isn’t Yandle. He isn’t worth his contract.
Not for that contract, 3 more years at 6.35mil ouch!!
Send them Moore, but would need their two best prospects and a first with him.
Then we can talk!
Sign me up!
That’s what I was seeing when I posted the trade he would else help with leadership of the group not in mins/points but a vet to replace so of Chara was good at
SONKKKKKKKK Poor yans. Good dude.
Yandle to the Islanders for Ladd and Komarov. Florida saves a few dollars and two bets get a fresh start.
Two vets*
How do you see Florida saving money here?
This is worse then when the Undertaker’s streak was broken. 866 games essentially wasted, when Yandle is roughly less than 100 games from breaking the longest consecutive games played streak. Looking at the list of over 500 consecutive games played Keith is 18 away for a tie for 3rd, 48 for a 2nd place tie, and 98 for a first place tie. I highly doubt we see anyone else crack 800 in our lifetimes.
I also think the organization should be ashamed that they have a player who could close in on the record, but I guess Florida doesn’t want to be apart of something historic.
How can a 40+ point d-man be a scratch?
Put him on the third pair…give him pp1
He is a liability on defense and turns the puck over something fierce.
Actually, he’s not. I have no idea why or how people pull these accusations straight out of their ass. Yandle had a Defensive Point Share of 2.3 last season, good for second best on the team. Also he had 8 less giveaways last year than alleged “stud” Aaron Ekblad.
Pawtucket is right. No chance Yandle isn’t good enough to be, at the very least, 3rd pairing on the Panthers or any other team. This whole situation screams of bad blood between Yandle and someone within the organization. It seems to me that they are deliberately ending his Ironman streak under a thinly veiled excuse of “moving on” from a player who is still one of their best defenceman. Way more to this story than we’re being told.
I’m the only one using actual facts in regard to Yandle’s play. Also, my reply was directed at @soflasooner and his turn-the-puck-over-something-fierce comment.
Pretty sad when waiver claims make a 6 million dollar player with years left a spare part you don’t even want around your team. Zito must hate chiclets
They should have bought him out then. All those people always yapping about players loyalty will surely come out now and talk about team loyalty to the players….right? Lol
The Ducks could use an offensive minded blue liner like Yandle, and the leadership, but don’t have the cap space to assume any of the contract. They have the prospects to potentially pry him off the bench, but I doubt he would agree to any such trade as the Ducks are going nowhere for the next year or two. As a Ducks’ fan I’m just trying to find help, and hope, anywhere that I can.