MONTREAL — The Carolina Hurricanes traded defenseman Tony DeAngelo and a 2022 seventh-round draft pick to Philadelphia for a fourth-round pick (101st overall) in 2022, a third-round pick in 2023 (the lowest of Philadelphia’s three picks) and a second-round choice in 2024. The deal was announced Friday during the NHL draft.
DeAngelo, a pending restricted free agent, subsequently signed a two-year, $10 million extension with the Flyers. The blueliner has appeared in 270 NHL games to date, posting 34 goals and 157 points, and offers Philadelphia some insurance on the backend as Ryan Ellis continues to recover from a pelvic injury that cost him all but four games last season.
“We’re very happy to add Tony to our team and I know he is very excited to join the Flyers,” GM Chuck Fletcher said in a press release. “We did our due diligence and we strongly believe in Tony and his ability to help our team. He is a right-handed shot who moves the puck extremely well and will drive offense from the back end for us.”
This is the third time that DeAngelo, 26, has been traded in a career marked by controversy. Before DeAngelo was drafted 19th overall by Tampa Bay in 2014, he had been suspended twice in junior hockey, including for violating the league’s policy regarding “homophobic, racist, and sexist language” and abuse of officials.
DeAngelo was still taken by Tampa Bay but never dressed for the Lightning before being traded to Arizona in 2016 after one season with Tampa Bay’s AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch. DeAngelo made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2016 and skated in 39 games for the franchise prior to being traded again, to the New York Rangers, in 2017. During that time with Arizona, DeAngelo was suspended three games for physical abuse of officials. Those disciplinary issues would extend into DeAngelo’s time with New York.
The Rangers signed DeAngelo to a two-year extension in 2020. Not long after that DeAngelo displayed behavioral problems that would force New York to sever ties. In January 2021, DeAngelo had a reported altercation with Rangers’ netminder Alexander Georgiev; DeAngelo was placed on waivers right after. Former general manager Jeff Gorton clarified that was a formality, and that DeAngelo had played his final game with the team. In July, New York put DeAngelo on unconditional waivers and bought out the remainder of his contract.
DeAngelo had continued to be a polarizing figure off the ice as well, becoming regularly combative on social media over everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to US election coverage. Carolina still inked DeAngelo to a one-year deal for last season, where he registered 51 points in 64 games.
Now DeAngelo will get another fresh start in Philadelphia. He’ll play there under tough new head coach John Tortorella, who isn’t known for pulling any punches either.
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