Report: Rangers' Yandle no longer available on trade market

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.

The Rangers are "no longer signaling Yandle's availability," reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post, citing league sources.

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."