Last year, when the Florida Panthers lost key defensemen Brian Campbell, they turned to Keith Yandle to fill those skates. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out the first time around.
Keith was touted as a power play specialist of sorts, something the Panthers sorely needed as well. Yandle is a seasoned player, getting older and that was something many were worried about the contract was given to him. However, his 633 game (second to only one) current Ironman streak is anything to indicate, slowing down is something Yandle isn’t necessarily about.
Coming into the 2016-17 season, we were expecting Yandle to contribute offensively (which he did), while also pairing up with Ekblad. Offensively, Keith held up to his side of the bargain. Defensively, he did not and was often a liability on the back end.
The Cats didn’t get that super flexible offensive, defensive top pairing we expected. Yandle seemed to work best with Petro or (like everyone) Pysyk, especially near the end. We didn’t get the reliability we expected out of a veteran D-man.
Nearly half of his 41 points were tallied on the man advantage. Despite having a weak PP, Yandle certainly showed us what he’s capable of when quarterbacking the man advantage. With a new coaching staff will also come a brand new system for the power play. Keith will continue to lead the special teams unit (more so PP), and will have a chance to do so with a brand new system put in place.
The turnovers however, easily became his biggest and most obvious flaw. Keith was not responsible with the puck last season, and was seen coughing up the puck on numerous amounts of occasions. It’s simply an area he will need to cut down on. Heading into this season, the Panthers cannot afford to endure all those turnovers as they did last year. With a hopeful healthy squad to start the year, it will only help Yandle and his player familiarity while on the ice. The more familiar he is with his assigned forward group, the less turnovers you’ll see in result.
This season looks to see a reliable Keith Yandle do what he does best (take charge of the man advantage and distribute the puck with ease). Keith should play behind our top two lines. He could be paired with Demers, Ekblad (give it another try) or even Pysyk (who can cover Keith defensively). At the end of the day though, it will be up to Boughner and staff on who get’s paired with Yandle.
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A defensive minded coach like Boughner will be able to help Keith become more responsible with the puck, while maxing out Yandle’s production (both offensively and defensively). Yandle did out produce Campbell’s average points while here and will likely give the team another 38-50 points in a full season. Look for Keith Yandle to provide more synergy, consistency and efficiency while on the ice this season.
Overall, his age shouldn’t be a factor. You don’t often see a defensemen like Keith Yandle remain healthy for a significant period of time, without sustaining an injury. Yandle’s ability to remain healthy should only benefit the Cats, who often get hampered by the injury bug. Keith wants to see this team succeed and will do anything necessary of achieving success.