Keith Yandle eyes successful future with New York Rangers

A routine has been reestablished, the rotation of games and practices with some rest mixed in, and as time continues to grow the buffer between the past and present, defenseman Keith Yandle can't ignore how appealing the future is.

"You look at the team here, and they're not just built to be good this year. We're going to be a good team for a long time," Yandle said Monday via telephone. "There's young guys here who can contribute, older guys, so you can see it's a legit team here."

Yandle was the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal between the Coyotes and Rangers that transpired March 1, a day before the NHL trade deadline, and although the initial coast-to-coast transition was hectic, it hasn't been hard to embrace his new surroundings.

After three games, Yandle (who's yet to tally a point) is averaging almost 20 minutes of ice time on a team with Stanley Cup potential.

"It was a great honor to be part of a big trade like that and come to a place here that's looking to make a run," said Yandle, who learned of the trade when he discovered a voicemail message from General Manager Don Maloney while at the birthday party for Martin Erat's son. "… It's a great group of guys. They have a lot of fun and win games. It's a great group to be a part of."

Yandle could certainly be a catalyst for the Rangers' pursuit; he was a valuable sparkplug for the Coyotes as a minute-muncher on the blue line, a power-play quarterback and a leader in the dressing room.

And yet despite all those responsibilities, Yandle's name was continually batted around the rumor mill the past few years. He wasn't immune to the speculation and actually figured if the Coyotes were to do a deal, this would be the year so that he could be with a team for more than one full season before his current contract expired.

"I always took it as a compliment and never really took it to heart or anything," he said regarding the rumors.

But that still didn't make the goodbyes easy, especially since Yandle had been with the organization since it drafted him in 2005 – a time he refers to as "amazing." And his friendship with captain Shane Doan was a huge reason why.

"He was nice enough to come over and spend a couple hours with me before I left, just really reflect on the good times we had," Yandle said. "We were both emotional with a tough day, but that's what happens. I was with him for eight, nine years. With me and him, we'll always remain friends and we'll always keep in touch. Obviously, it's tough to leave any team but to leave a guy like Doaner, it was tough. But I'm also happy with the situation I'm in."

A​​​ct​ually, the parting seems mutually beneficial. The Coyotes received a talented prospect in Anthony Duclair, defenseman John Moore and two draft picks to help key their rebuild. And Yandle has the opportunity to chase a Cup and up his stock before he's eligible to​ become an unrestricted free agent in 2016.

After nine seasons of​ service, that's not a bad parting gift.

"I think I got put i​nto the best situation possible," Yandle said. "Donnie really helped me out there by putting me here and putting me on the East Coast and being closer to my family back in Boston, and obviously I'm coming to an amazing team, so best-case scenario for me."​

Domingue starts

Goalie Louis Domingue earned the nod against the Predators Monday for his second career start and first at home.

Before that, Domingue made 18 saves in his first NHL win against the Canadiens Feb.1 and performed mop-up duty for No.1 Mike Smith twice.

"To have the first game out of the way, I feel good," Domginue said. "The pressure is not there right now. I'm just trying to prove a point here that I belong here and that I want to be here next year."

Injury update

Winger Lauri Korpikoski is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not face the Predators.

To fill his absence, the Coyotes recalled forward Brendan Shinnimin from the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.

"A number of guys down there playing well, but we wanted to try Shinny at center," coach Dave Tippett said.

Defenseman Connor Murphy also sat out against the Predators. He's been battling a sickness for the last few days, Tippett said. This gave the Coyotes an opportunity to play Brandon Gormley, who had been putting in solid work while being a healthy scratch for three games.