Dan Boyle the perfect pickup for NY Rangers
With due respect to Anton Stralman, the New York Rangers just made a major upgrade to their defense.
The Blueshirts won the Dan Boyle sweepstakes with a 2-year, $9-million contract, inking the former San Jose Sharks blueliner after his team decided to go young on defense.
The 15-year veteran will slide right next to Marc Staal to form a formidable top four with Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Like Stralman, he's a right-handed shot.
Even better: Boyle is a power-play quarterback in a way Stralman, who left the Rangers as a free agent on Tuesday, is not. With Brad Richards getting a buyout, the Rangers had a need to for one. Boyle's a great fit, and takes some of the pressure off of McDonagh in that role as well.
Boyle’s agent told the NY Daily News that his client "has always wanted to play for the Rangers, throughout his whole career."
It always helps when they ante up two years and $4.5 million. But there are reports that Boyle left money on the table elsewhere -- namely in Detroit, which offered 2 years and $11 million.
Boyle will be reunited with Marty St. Louis, with whom he won the 2004 Stanley Cup as members of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alas, Brad Richards and John Tortorella arrived at the 10 Year Anniversary Party too early and had to go.
