NHL Trade Speculation: Could the Flyers Pry Keith Yandle Away from Phoenix?

Keith Yandle has been the glue that's been holding together a struggling Phoenix Coyotes team. As it stands now, the Coyotes sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 39 points, and the team is currently under .500.

 It's a tough thing to watch, especially since the Coyotes have plenty of talent on their roster. They just can't seem to pull it all together. 

Phoenix recently traded disgruntled forward Kyle Turris to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for David Rundblad and a second-round draft pick. They also traded their star goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason last year. Even with all these shake-ups, it still hasn't seemed to change much.

While it's unlikely the Coyotes would ever trade Keith Yandle, it's certainly something to consider. Like Shea Weber, Yandle would come at a premium. Phoenix would command a quality defenseman in return along with prospects and high draft picks.

What Phoenix needs most of all right now is scoring and forechecking. The Flyers have plenty of scorers, so they may be a good trade partner with Phoenix if they decide to make a trade.

Keith is only 25 years old, which makes him an attractive option for anyone looking for defensive help. He has five goals and 17 assists on the season, but on a team like Philly, I'd expect those numbers to go up substantially. Yandle could fill the void left by Pronger quite well.

What's makes a potential deal even more attractive is his price tag. He's due to be paid $5.25 million per season through the 2016-17 season, which is a steal for a defenseman with the level of talent Yandle possesses.

With the Flyers close to the cap, it would certainly benefit them. Not only that, but unlike Weber, he's already locked up for a long time, so the Flyers would have him locked up at that price for years.

If you ask me, it might not take as much to pry Keith Yandle away from Phoenix as it would to pry Shea Weber out of Nashville, but that remains to be seen. After all, Yandle is a huge piece in Phoenix, and Phoenix might not want to give Philly any more of their star players.

I'm not sure if Yandle will even be available by the deadline or not, but he sure is a great option for Philly. If I was Paul Holmgren, I'd be asking Don Maloney what it's going to take to pry him away from the desert.

Now, if I was Maloney, I'd be asking for two firsts, Schenn/JvR, and Matt Carle. It might not take that much, but that's what I'd be asking for if I was the Coyotes GM.

So, what do you guys think? Is Keith Yandle an acceptable option at defense? Would he be a good replacement for the ailing Chris Pronger?

You can follow me on Twitter @ManayunkMike for rumors, updates and more.

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