Flyers' Yandle excited to play in front of 'stud' Hart

For the first time in five NHL seasons, Keith Yandle won't be suiting up for the Florida Panthers next year, and the veteran is excited to write his next chapter.

The defenseman was bought out by Florida earlier this offseason and signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Philadelphia Flyers almost two weeks later. A major selling point to draw the ironman to Philly was young netminder Carter Hart.

"He's a stud," Yandle recently said, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "He's a guy when you think of young goalies in the league, you think of him - a guy that I'm definitely excited to play in front of."

That's high praise from the 34-year-old Yandle, who has played alongside iconic goaltenders such as Henrik Lundqvist and Roberto Luongo.

"You hear that he carries himself like he's a 10-year vet," Yandle continued. "Definitely one of those guys that when you look at signing with the Flyers, you see how good of a goalie they have - that's a big thing."

For Hart's part, he's excited to turn the page on a rough season and recently signed a three-year, $11.9-million pact with the Flyers.

"The past is in the past," Hart told reporters after signing the deal Monday. "We're going to have a great locker room. Just looking forward to getting started."

Hart referred to the Flyers' new additions as "beauties" and said it'll be "fun" to play behind a new blue line that includes the likes of Ryan Ellis, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Yandle.

General manager Chuck Fletcher's offseason acquisitions have impressed Yandle as well.

"I think seeing what Chuck's done even before free agency and making moves, making big moves, just helping the team get better - I thought it was a no-brainer for me," Yandle said. "It just seems like it's a win-now situation, and that's something that I'm all about. I thought it was the best fit."