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Yandle's ironman streak of 900-plus games remains intact as he played in all 56 of Florida's regular season contests before being a healthy scratch for three of the club's final four playoff games in 2020-21. The Panthers cut bait in the offseason, buying out Yandle's contract, allowing him to sign a one-year deal with the Flyers. The 35-year-old Yandle still has his uses if deployed correctly. He remains an asset with the man advantage, as evidenced by the fact he's posted at least 18 power-play points in each of the past eight campaigns. Yandle and Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault know each other from their time in New York with the Rangers. Yandle had 47 points in 82 games in the one season they spent together, and while fantasy owners shouldn't expect that level of production, Yandle should again be good for 35-plus points in his new digs.
Smart fantasy owners know how valuable Yandle is to their success and there's no reason to think this year will be any different. In four seasons in Florida, he's been the seventh-most productive defender in the NHL (204 points in 315 games) and fifth over that span with the man advantage (96 points). Yandle even finished third in power-play production overall in 2018-19 (39 points), behind only Nikita Kucherov (48) and Steven Stamkos (40). The iron man (866 games) is viewed as a fringe top-20 fantasy defender, but it's clear that's a bit low, even at 34. Draft him and enjoy the wealth he brings you.
Yandle benefited tremendously from quarterbacking one of the league's most dangerous power-play units last season -- 39 of his 62 points came with the extra man. Overall, he set career highs in both assists (53) and points (62), topping the 50-point mark for the fourth time in the past six seasons. Yandle's tremendous vision and passing ability overshadow his questionable defensive skills, and he should continue to be one of the league's most dependable sources of assists and power-play production from the back end. Florida's offseason addition of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky should help bring that minus-17 rating up, too. Considering he last missed a game in March of 2009, Yandle also carries less risk of injury-related decline than your typical 33-year-old blueliner.
Yandle had a very strong 2017-18 season while playing in all 82 regular season contests, extending his consecutive games played streak to 715 games, the top active streak in the NHL. Along with taking over hockey's "Ironman" crown, the 31-year-old blueliner scored eight goals and 56 points, his best offensive season since posting 59 points during the 2010-11 campaign. He also blocked over 100 shots for the first time in five years and averaged a career-high 24:29 of ice time per game. Yandle will turn 32 years old just prior to the start of next season and should give fantasy owners another strong, consistent season.
As he enters his early 30s, Yandle enjoys a reputation for remarkable consistency and durability -- he’s averaged more than 40 points over the past eight seasons, and he currently has the league’s second-longest active iron-man streak with 633 consecutive games played. He averaged 22:02 in his first season with the Panthers, including a huge helping of power-play duties with Aaron Ekblad having a down year. However, despite Yandle’s best efforts (which resulted in 18 man-advantage points), the Panthers’ power play ranked just 24th in the NHL. With the team looking for a bounce-back season, Yandle’s production should improve, but at the very least, he’s given fantasy owners a floor they can count on.
After a par-for-the-course season in which he managed 47 points for the Rangers, Yandle got the big contract he was looking for from the Panthers, who’ll pay him $44.45 million over seven years. Florida will likely regret the back end of that contract, but that’s the price to pay for a gifted passer who dished out 20 helpers on the power play to go along with 22 more assists at even strength. The American defenseman’s lackluster plus-minus bears out his struggles in his own end and he doesn’t shoot nearly as often as he once did, but Yandle’s vision and puck-possession skills should make his partnership with Aaron Ekblad one of the most dangerous blue-line pairings in the league.
A long-time resident of the desert, Yandle was dealt by the Coyotes to the bright lights of Broadway at the trade deadline last year, and he overcame some early jitters to deliver consistent offensive production from the blue line, as he normally does. Yandle may frustrate Rangers fans by taking infuriating risks in his own zone, but he more than makes up for that by regularly delivering 50-plus points, as he's done in three of the last four non-lockout-shortened campaigns, with much of that coming thanks to his puck-moving skills on the power play. His value should see an additional boost this season thanks to the change of venue, as he's likely to deliver a positive plus/minus after compiling a minus-55 over the last two seasons with Arizona.
Yandle led Arizona in scoring with 53 points in 2013-14, including 31 points on the power play. The fact that those numbers came with a dismal minus-23 rating should not deter fantasy owners, but his shortcomings in that category can’t be ignored entirely. Despite scoring just eight goals, Yandle put a career-high 241 shots on net, which ranked third among defensemen and tied for 25th among all skaters. Don't be surprised if he sees a jump in goals this year once his shooting percentage reverts back to near his career norm.
Yandle is often the subject of trade rumors involving the Coyotes, but the blueliner remains strong offensively for the desert club. He tallied 30 points, including 10 goals, in 2012-13 and remains one of the most recognizable fantasy names in Phoenix. Nothing about that should change going forward. His production was about on par with where he's been throughout his career, so another 40-to-50 point season-- at minimum -- should be on tap for the defenseman.
Though he's been the rumored target of quite a few trades, Yandle will remain (for now) a key piece of the Phoenix blue line that contributed to the resurgence of goaltender Mike Smith. With 43 points to complement 51 PIMs and 77 blocked shots in 82 games, Yandle's offensive prowess is almost impressive as his defense. And with added support on the Coyotes' blue line after offseason improvements, there's little reason to temper expectations for Yandle going forward.
Yandle, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Coyotes heading into the 2011-12 season, finished last season third in scoring among blueliners with 11 goals and 48 assists through 82 games. Phoenix's lone representative in the All-Star Game, Yandle is showing no signs of slowing down and should be treated as one of the top defensemen in the league in fantasy drafts. Of his 59 points last season, a team-high 26 were tallied on the power play. Yandle's lone weakness stems from his tendency to stray into the offensive zone; the Coyotes would like to see him remain anchored on the blue line more consistently while still finding ways to bring his much-needed offense to the ice.
Something clicked in Yandle during 2009-10; he believed that he was an NHL defenseman and that he belonged in the league. That belief turned into a stellar performance for the young blueliner, who placed fourth among the team leaders in points scored with 41 (12G 29A), and a plus-16 rating. For 2010-11, expect much of the same from Yandle because even though he had a career-type year in 2009-10, he can be even better.
Yandle's defensive abilities leave a little bit to be desired, but he's very skilled with the puck for a defenseman, and it showed in Yandle's 26 assists last year. Yandle figures to get plenty of time on the power play again in 2009-2010, which could make him a sleeper in fantasy leagues, especially if Phoenix's overall offense is improved.
The Hockey News ranked Keith Yandle in the top 50 of hockey prospects and he continues to provide the Phoenix Coyotes franchise with plenty of options on the blue line. Last season, Yandle played with the Coyotes AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage. He ended the season with a minus 15 rating but scored 34 points, six goals and 28 assists. The top five defensemen in Jovanovski, Morris, Ballard, Michalek, and Boynton form the core group, but the sixth spot is up for grabs. Yandle participated in Rookie Camp this season and has impressed the coaching staff. If he makes the Coyotes team, he will have to improve his AHL numbers.
Yandle is an excellent skater for a bigger rearguard and has a big shot too. He will see occasional callups throughout the season and should be a regular in the NHL as early as 2007-08.
