Alain Vigneault didn’t sugarcoat the position the Rangers find themselves in with Keith Yandle, the unrestricted free agent defenseman whose strong play could price him out of a return to Broadway.
“He’s definitely a tough decision moving forward,” the coach said on Rangers breakup day at the MSG Training Center on Tuesday.
In an offseason when change could be frequent following the five-game series loss to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Yandle back as a Blueshirt would be a welcome sight. But with defensemen Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and captain Ryan McDoangh already all making big money, can the Rangers, with little cap room to begin with, afford it?