from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Boyle, one of the least publicly accountable players to come down the pike here in a while (which is not to suggest he is or is not accountable in his interactions with the coaching staff, for that’s a behind-the-blue-door kind of thing), is 39 and on the final season of his two-year, $9 million, over-35 contract that includes a no-move clause.

This means that unless he volunteers to go, and unless there is a team out there willing to take the righty defenseman, Boyle’s $4.5M cap hit will be on the books for the remainder of the season. But that shouldn’t guarantee him a spot in the lineup....

Boyle is a stubborn guy. He earned his no-move clause and has every right to stick to it. But he doesn’t seem to be a fit. Put aside Boyle’s issues in his own end and his difficulty winning battles. More to the point is that the predicate of Vigneault’s system is the quick first pass out of the zone, but Boyle still wants to carry the puck the way he always did. (Which he no longer is capable of, anyway.)

On a team in which everyone is a part of it, somehow Boyle seems apart from it. Doesn’t make him a bad guy, but it hasn’t exactly worked as it was drawn up here. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better....

The Rangers lusted after Boyle for years. Boyle made it clear he always wanted to play in New York. Both parties should have been careful what they wished for.

more