Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

One of the more perplexing stories this season has been the usage of Keith Yandle. Less than a year after the Rangers paid a steep price for the All Star defenseman, he has been relegated to bottom pairing and second powerplay minutes. When he was acquired, Yandle was supposed to be the guy that helped bring balance to the Rangers powerplay and provide more offense from the position. He’s also the only pure puck without gray hair on the roster.

The general counter argument to giving Yandle more time is that he’s not good in his own zone. And yes, to an extent this is true. He’s not someone you want going up against Sidney Crosby. However you can’t, with a straight face, say that Yandle’s mistakes have been more costly than anyone else’s on the current blue line. They’ve all had their issues in their own end. This is about getting the most out of your very expensive asset, and utilizing him in a manner that gives your team the best chance to win.

Starting at even strength, Yandle leads the team in points (11) and assists (11). He is second in CF% (51.75%) and SCF% (50.73%), and is one of just two Rangers defensemen above 50% in both categories (Dylan McIlrath). Any defenseman that plays with Yandle sees an instant boost in on-ice performance. But yet he only gets more playing time than McIlrath and Dan Boyle. An argument can be made that Ryan McDoangh and Kevin Klein should be getting more time, but based on this year’s performance, there is no logical explanation why Yandle is playing less time at even strength than Dan Girardi and Marc Staal.

The powerplay is even more confusing. Yandle is averaging a career best (and best on the Rangers) P/60 at 5.90, but he’s averaging two full minutes of ice time less than he had in Arizona. Yandle actually averages the least amount of ice time among Rangers defensemen on the powerplay. To put it bluntly, that’s mind boggling.

Something has to give on the blue line. Girardi is hurt, and we are too far into the season to expect a turnaround from him or Staal. In the new NHL, the term “defenseman” isn’t only about shutting teams down anymore. Controlling the play, driving offense, and preventing the opposition from regaining the puck are just as, if not more important. If you have the puck, your opponent doesn’t. They can’t score if they don’t have the puck.

This brings us back to Staal and Girardi, who get the most ice time of anyone on the team. Neither has done well this season, anyone watching can see that. Girardi has by far the worst CF% on the club (40.72%, good for 221st [of 224] in the league). His effect on McDonagh has been well documented. When he and Staal get the most ice time at even strength, they get pinned in their own end with their inability to make controlled passes out of the zone, which in turn stunts the offense. It’s a giant ripple effect that begins in their own zone.

Yandle is the best passer on this team, but yet he isn’t used enough to help start the transition to offense. At the very least, it’s time to start giving Yandle more minutes at the expense of Staal and Girardi. This is one of the very simple changes that can be made to get more out of the current team. They need all the help they can get at this point.

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