The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a one-year, $1.675 million deal, the team announced Monday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Carolina came close to acquiring DeAngelo from the Philadelphia Flyers via trade before the NHL Draft, but the deal hit a snag because the NHL collective bargaining agreement does not permit a player to be traded back to his initial team within a year if the trade included salary retention.
- The Flyers bought out DeAngelo’s contract in July, making him an unrestricted free agent.
- DeAngelo scored 11 goals and had 31 assists in 70 games last season.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
DeAngelo’s fit with the Hurricanes
DeAngelo’s joining a better blue line than the one he left after 2021-22 (his first season in Carolina). He spent most of his last tenure alongside the team’s number one, Jaccob Slavin, on the top pair. Slavin, one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league, helped mask some of the well-noted flaws in DeAngelo’s defensive game. But since his departure, that slot has been filled by Brent Burns, who is coming off an excellent season. So unless there’s some major decline in Burns’ game, it’s unlikely DeAngelo regains that slot.
It means the team won’t have as strong of a partner to balance him out, but he’ll likely be in more fittingly sheltered minutes. — Goldman
Where does DeAngelo stand on Carolina’s roster?
As the current blue line stands, DeAngelo could become a match on Dmitry Orlov’s side on the third pair unless something changes ahead of opening night. But if Orlov has to be the more stable and defensive defender in his pairing, which he’d have to be with DeAngelo, he may not put up that same point production that he did in Boston. That isn’t set in stone yet, though, since there are looming questions on the right side of the lineup.
Brett Pesce hasn’t extended his contract and management may try to move him proactively before it expires next summer. If Pesce is traded, it’s possible DeAngelo skates with Brady Skjei, who he spent some time with in New York. This provides some more depth on the right side if that’s the case, even though Pesce and DeAngelo have completely different skill sets and strengths. — Goldman
Is this a good deal for Carolina?
If DeAngelo maintains his discipline and offensive spark, then this could be a cost-effective signing for Carolina. A $1.6 million cap hit is less than it would have been had they traded for him at 50 percent retention from the Flyers. DeAngelo’s still getting paid by two teams regardless, even though his buyout from the Rangers just ended. As cheap of a contract as this may be, and as much as the Hurricanes have a knack for maximizing even the most flawed defensemen, there’s still some risk here. It’s possible that DeAngelo peaked last time around with the Hurricanes, so the hope could be that limiting his role will keep him effective offensively and not a liability defensively. Plus there’s the off-ice element, and locker room vibes, that are another factor with this player. — Goldman
Backstory
DeAngelo’s signing with the Hurricanes marks his fourth move in as many years. The offensive defenseman has rotated through the Rangers, Hurricanes, Flyers and back to the Hurricanes since the 2020-21 season.
After one season with the team, Carolina traded DeAngelo to the Flyers in July 2022 in exchange for draft picks. After a down 2022-23 season and with DeAngelo’s relationship with Flyers coach John Tortorella devolved, the Flyers worked on trading DeAngelo to Carolina. The trade would have involved the Flyers retaining 50 percent of his $5 million cap hit for 2023-24 — leaving them with $2.5 million on their books for the coming season — and receiving a low-level prospect in return had it gone through.
Instead, Philadelphia bought out DeAngelo’s contract in July, making him an unrestricted free agent.
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(Photo: Len Redkoles / NHLI via Getty Images)
