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Trade: Rangers land Yandle, Coyotes receive Duclair, first-rounder

San Jose Sharks v Arizona Coyotes

San Jose Sharks v Arizona Coyotes

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The New York Rangers made a big splash on Sunday, acquiring Keith Yandle from the Arizona Coyotes for Anthony Duclair, John Moore and a first-round pick. The Rangers also received a fourth-round pick and Chris Summers as part of the trade, according to ESPN’s Katie Strang.

The first-round pick is for the 2016 NHL Draft, HNIC’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Various outlets including TSN’s Darren Dreger point out that the Coyotes will also retain 50 percent of Yandle’s salary, with Friedman pointing out that the retention will take place in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

(Note: Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recanted an earlier report that Daniel Girardi was part of the trade. That turned out to be untrue.)
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Yandle, 28, boasts a deal that carries a $5.25 million cap hit through the 2015-16, so it’s more than a mere rental for the Rangers.

Critics will point to his -32 rating this season (and general complaints about his defensive play), but there’s no denying that Yandle is a potent offensive weapon. He has 41 points in 63 games in 2014-15 and already has two 50+ point seasons to his name.

Duclair, 19, was the 80th pick of the 2013 NHL Draft. He already has some NHL experience under his belt after generating seven points in 18 games while also producing 25 points in 19 contests with the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts.

More than a few people think that Duclair will end up being the gem of the deal:

Moore, 24, was the 21st pick of the 2009 NHL Draft by Columbus. He already has 211 regular season games and 33 playoff contests under his belt, so he provides some respectable depth to Arizona’s blueline.

Summers, 27, could probably be best described as a journeyman defenseman at this point (despite being the 29th pick of the 2006 NHL Draft).

If you want to simplify the outlook of this trade, think of this way: the Rangers are going all-in now while the Coyotes are loading up for the future. Arizona also received a hefty package for forward Antoine Vermette, after all.

And, no, you’re not wrong if you’ve noticed that the Coyotes and Rangers make a lot of trades with each other:

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This might also open the door for a Mats Zuccarello contract extension, as TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that they’re closing in on a deal.