The Florida Panthers have signed one of the league’s best available free agent defenders.
According to Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com, the Panthers have agreed to a seven-year deal with defenseman Keith Yandle, worth an average of $6.35 million per season. Florida acquired the rights to Yandle earlier this week from the New York Rangers to exclusively negotiate with the 29-year-old.
Keith Yandle has agreed to terms with the Florida Panthers: seven years and $6.35 million average per season
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 23, 2016
The contract is a very expensive and has a scary amount of term involved in it. With that said, Florida made the right move signing the deal. Yandle was the top defensemen available in free agency and once he hit the open market he was going to get crazy high offers. The contract is fair for a player of his value.
Yandle is a good, puck-moving defenseman who’s a talented point producer. With the New York Rangers last season, he scored 47 points appearing in all 82 games. He can be slotted in on the top pair and isn’t a liability defensively. The Panthers defense needed work this offseason, so adding Yandle is a great step into improving a weak spot for the club.
Will the Yandle deal be a good one throughout the length of the contract? No, but you can’t sign top free agents without giving them serious term. Yandle was going to get seven years from somebody. The Panthers were more than happy to oblige. It’s a good signing.
