The Arizona Coyotes and general manager Don Maloney are all ears on any potential deals at the moment. With a mediocre team and an ownership situation seemingly in a constant state of flux, shedding salary and stockpiling assets for the future are the current orders of business in the desert.
Along that front, Maloney was spotted recently at a New York Islander-Los Angeles Kings game at the Staples Center in California, prompting some to wonder if Islanders general manager Garth Snow, even after adding Johnny Boychuck and Nick Leddy in the off-season, may have an interest in Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, according to Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun.
New York, according to Garrioch, has the center prospects with which to make a deal.
The Coyotes have been looking for help in the middle and though Josh Bailey has been used as a winger in Long Island, he can play centre.
The Islanders (9-5) have been playing extremely well as of late, culminating in a three-game win streak. Their most recent victory, a 1-0 victory over the very same Coyotes, saw them play strong as a defensive unit, blocking 16 shots and killing five penalties.
Still, Snow may be convinced that further additions to his defense will be what it takes to keep the Isles in the conversation as a surprise Cup winner.
Yandle, regarded by many as the best two-way defenseman in the league, is in his ninth season in the NHL, all of which he's spent with the Coyotes.
Thus far this season, he has one goal, 11 points and a plus-1 rating in 14 games. Just last season, he had his second most productive year as a pro, amassing 53 points.
He is in the third year of a five-year, $26 million contract.
