Rangers’ rivals counter by stocking up at NHL trade deadline

New York Rangers' Keith Yandle plays during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators on Monday, March 2, 2015, at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was Yandle's first game since being traded to the Rangers. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) New York Rangers' Keith Yandle plays during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators on Monday, March 2, 2015, at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was Yandle's first game since being traded to the Rangers. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

By Associated Press March 3, 2015 4 min read

New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather struck the first bold move of the weekend by acquiring playmaking defenseman Keith Yandle in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes.

By the time NHL trade deadline struck a day later on Monday, many of Sather’s Eastern Conference-contending counterparts responded with a series of moves to address their needs.

“Anybody got a crystal ball around?” Sather asked, in response to whether he was prepared to predict the Rangers’ chances of reaching the Stanley Cup final for a second consecutive year. “It was nice to get there. And I hope we can do that again.”

But, Sather added, “there are a lot of teams that are going to think the same thing we’re thinking now.”

On a day that featured 24 trades involving 43 players, the Montreal Canadiens countered by acquiring Edmonton defenseman Jeff Petry and Buffalo forwards Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell. Pittsburgh stocked up on veteran defense with Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy. Boston shook up a sputtering team with forwards Brett Connolly and Max Talbot.