New York Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle has been mired in trade speculation for most of the season, but that might be far from the case heading into the trade deadline on Feb. 29.
Yandle - a pending unrestricted free agent - is in the final year of a five-year, $26.25-million deal, and carries a very team-friendly $2.625-million cap hit this season after the Arizona Coyotes retained half his salary when he was traded to New York last year. He would certainly be a very valuable trade chip on the open market.
"Multiple sources report keen interest in the 29-year-old, much of it coming from the Western Conference," Brooks writes. "Dallas has been dogging the Rangers for weeks. The Blueshirts perhaps would be able to get the Stars' immensely talented 20-year-old winger Valeri Nichushkin as part of the return package. Such a possibility would surely tempt Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton."
The Rangers are 7-1-1 in their last nine games despite an injury to captain Ryan McDonagh. Yandle has averaged 24:03 minutes of ice time per game in McDonagh's absence, and his recent play may be among the prime causes of the team's apparent shift in intentions ahead of the deadline.
The 29-year-old admittedly has no problem with remaining in New York.
"Anyone who knows me, anyone who sees me, they can see how happy I am playing in New York and with this group," Yandle said. "I even got a text from my mom the other day saying that she has never seen me look so happy. That should tell you everything."
With just over a quarter of the 2015-16 NHL season remaining, trade deadline moves and playoff races aren't the only things left to be decided.
A number of participants from January's All-Star Game still have plenty to fight for as the NHL Awards races heat up over the next couple months.
Here are the favorites for five major awards if the season ended today:
Hart Trophy: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Kane has led the league in scoring by a sizable margin (now 17 points) for some time, and if anyone could afford to see their production dip and still remain an award contender, it would be him.
But he isn't slowing down.
The 27-year-old passed his previous high of 30 goals on Feb. 4, and needs just four more points to match his career-best 88-point campaign from 2009-10 with 20 games remaining.
The Blackhawks still (barely) sit atop the Western Conference standings, but with Kane's continuous production (nine points in his last five games), it would take a monumental collapse from both player and team for him to lose his firm hold on the Hart.
Honorable Mentions: Outside the next two award favorites, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have the Stars sitting one point behind the Blackhawks with two games in hand, but it's be difficult to say which forward has been more valuable to the team.
Calder Trophy: Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers
This season has seen one of the most impressive crops of rookie forwards in recent memory, but it's becoming impossible to ignore Flyers' defenseman Gostisbehere - now on a 15-game point streak.
The 22-year-old is on pace for 54 points, which would be the highest total for a rookie defensemen since seven-time Norris winner Nicklas Lidstrom recorded 60 in 1992. It's incredible to consider that Gostisbehere was in the AHL for the Flyers' first 16 games.
On top of the historic scoring pace, his 3-on-3 heroics (four overtime game-winning goals) are keeping the Flyers in the playoff hunt, and making him a serious contender for the Calder.
While his performance has slipped slightly since his outstanding first three months of the season, it appears nothing can slow Holtby's potential record-setting wins pace.
Month
GP
Record
GAA
Sv%
October
8
6-2-0
1.90
.924
November
11
9-2-0
1.99
.927
December
11
9-0-1
1.69
.947
January
9
6-1-2
2.82
.909
February
9
8-1-0
2.60
.906
The 26-year-old has backstopped the Capitals to the best 58-game record (44-10-4) in NHL history, and needs just 12 wins in the next 24 games to become the first goalie to record 50 wins in a season.
Despite having only two shutouts, he's one of just two goalies to be among the top 10 in wins, goals-against average, and save percentage.
While his defensive play will always be scrutinized, there's no defenseman close to as impactful on the offensive end than Karlsson.
The Swede sits tied for third in NHL scoring with 65 points in 60 games in a league starved for goals. It's startling to see how often Karlsson is involved in his team's goals compared to the best seasons from other legendary blue-liners.
Name
Year
Pts
Team GF
Involvement
Karlsson
2015-16
65
172
37.7%
Orr
1970-71
139
399
34.8%
Coffey
1985-86
138
426
32.4%
Leetch
1991-92
102
321
31.8%
Bourque
1990-91
94
299
31.4%
The 25-year-old is in a league of his own this season, and if his Senators have another late-season run that ends in a playoff spot - this award is a lock.
Speaking of the Ducks, it wasn't all that long ago that Boudreau's firing seemed inevitable, but now his team is a mere two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Kings.
The Ducks had a horrendous first month of the season, going 1-7-2, but have turned things around to save their coach. After handing the goaltending reins to Gibson in late November, Boudreau won back the dressing room en route to an NHL-best 8-1-1 record in February.
A division title seemed like a fantasy for the Ducks 20 games into the season, but now, with 24 games to go, it could become a reality, and Boudreau deserves credit.
Honorable Mentions: Barry Trotz would be a very deserving winner with the league-best Capitals. Panthers coach Gerard Gallant and Stars coach Lindy Ruff are also in the mix.
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