Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix NHL Arizona Coyotes are not making the playoffs this year. That much is all but guaranteed. What waits to be seen is when they start shipping off players that are not in their future plans, and who they ship out. Rob Klinkhammer was already sent to Pittsburgh for prospect Philip Samuelsson. With seven players headed towards unrestricted free agency, GM Don Maloney will probably be busy.

There are a few players that may interest the Rangers, specifically defenseman Keith Yandle, if Arizona decides to trade him. Yandle isn’t a pending UFA, but the ‘Yotes have Samuelsson and Brandon Gormley vying for NHL spots in the near future. There is a need to open up spots on the blue line for these kids, and Yandle, a 28-year-old on a $5.25 million cap hit, would probably bring back the biggest return.

In Yandle, the acquiring team would be getting a sure-fire All Star this season who is good for 50 points per season. Yandle is also a guy that will drive puck possession –he is a relative positive CF% in Arizona– on a team that actually drives possession on a regular basis. As a LHD, he would slot in right behind Ryan McDonagh, giving the Rangers a much better 1-2 punch on the left side.

Another option the Rangers could pursue is Zbynek Michalek, a pending UFA. He’d likely be a pure rental, and is definitely the worse player between he and Yandle, although a lot of players are worse than Yandle. Michalek is a RHD and three years older than Yandle, but age isn’t really an issue since it would likely be a short-term acquisition. Michalek is your prototypical “defensive defenseman” in that he doesn’t really put up gaudy offensive numbers, but he drives puck possession better than anyone on that miserable Coyotes squad this season.

Trading for either defenseman could potentially be a pricey endeavor, since both would probably be heavily sought after. It’s tough to gauge what Arizona would be looking for as compensation, but without a first round pick, the Rangers are limited in assets to send to the desert. The ‘Yotes are particularly thin on skilled forwards, specifically at center. And the wing. Well, pretty much everywhere. Seriously, that’s not a good lineup.

Marc Staal isn’t a tradeable asset to a team like the Coyotes, as they don’t need defensemen. So, to grab one of those guys, I would assume J.T. Miller and/or Oscar Lindberg would be the primary guys dangled. Maybe Carl Hagelin. Anthony Duclair or Pavel Buchnevich would be the guys Arizona targets. That won’t happen.

Both Yandle and Michalek would be upgrades over most players currently on the Rangers blue line, and landing one of them would be a significant step towards another Cup run. But I just don’t think they make good trading partners.

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