Panthers Sign Keith Yandle To 7-Year Deal Worth $44.45 Million
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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – The Florida Panthers put all their cards on the table after trading for the rights to free agent-to-be Keith Yandle earlier this week.
Early Thursday morning it proved to be a winning hand.
The Panthers signed Yandle to a seven-year deal worth $44.45 million, including a no-trade clause for the first six years.
He would have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Florida acquired Yandle's rights from the New York Rangers in exchange for a sixth round draft pick in this weekend's NHL Draft and now owe the Rangers an additional fourth round pick in next year's draft after successfully signing the 29-year-old defenseman.
"We're thrilled," Panthers co-owner Doug Cifu told the Miami Herald. "This shows that top players want to win in Florida. Keith wants to win the Stanley Cup in Florida. That's why we were his top priority and vice versa."
Yandle is coming off a 47 point campaign (5 goals, 42 assists) with New York in 2015-16 and has averaged 50 points a season over the past three years.
22 of his points last season came on the power play, an area that the Panthers are in need of help after finishing 23rd in the NHL last year and 24th the year before.
Yandle, a Boston native, has scored 72 goals and 297 assists in 661 regular-season games.
He also has six goals and 25 assists in 51 career playoff games.