Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle is leaning towards retiring after a 17-year career.
When the New York Rangers signed defenseman Dan Boyle during summer of 2014, they believed that Boyle could be a missing piece to their Stanley Cup puzzle. That wasn’t the case as Boyle had just 45 points in 139 games over his two-year tenure with the Rangers. As Boyle is scheduled to hit free agency once again, he says that he is likely going to retire.
Dan Boyle isn't ready to announce his retirement yet but he is leaning that way and it sounds as if he will, just wants to be 100% certain.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) April 26, 2016
Boyle has had a very nice career as a defenseman and has been regarded as one of the best power play quarterbacks of his time. In 1,093 regular season games Boyle has 163 goals and 442 assists for 605 points. Averaging over a point every two games is impressive for a defenseman. 299 of his points (72 goals and 227 assists) came on the power play. Boyle had his finest years running the point for the San Jose Sharks power play. He had at least 20 power play assists for three consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2011.
While he was expected to help the Rangers power play woes and add depth, Boyle simply didn’t have enough left in the tank. He only had 12 power play assists in his two seasons with the Rangers despite getting ample power play time. Boyle won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2003-2004 season. In 130 career playoff games, he has 17 goals and 64 assists for 81 points. If this is the last the NHL sees of Boyle, hopefully, he will be remembered as being an excellent power play option. He might not make the Hockey Hall of Fame, but he sure was a beast in his prime.
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