Montreal – Carolina Hurricanes trading defense man Tony D’Angelo and the 2022 draft seventh-round pick for Philadelphia for a fourth-round pick (101 overall) in 2022, a third-round pick in 2023 (the lowest of Philadelphia’s three picks) and a second-round pick in 2024. The deal was announced Friday during the NHL Draft.
DeAngelo, a suspended restricted free agent, is working to finalize a two-year, $10 million extension with Flyers. The blueliner has appeared in 270 NHL games so far, scoring 34 goals and 157 points, and he’s giving Philadelphia some back-end insurance. Ryan Ellis He continues to recover from a pelvic injury that cost him all but four games last season.
“We are very excited to add Tony to our team and I know he is very excited to be joining the Flyers,” GM Chuck Fletcher said in a press release. “We’ve done our due diligence and we believe deeply in Tony and his ability to help our team. He’s a right-handed shot that moves the disc very well and will encourage us to attack from the back end.”
This is the third time DeAngelo, 26, has been traded in a career marked by controversy. Before DeAngelo was drafted into 19th overall by Tampa Bay in 2014, he was suspended twice in junior hockey, including for violating league policy regarding “homophobic, racist, and sexist language” and mistreatment of officials.
DeAngelo is still taken from Tampa Bay but did not wear Lightning before being traded to Arizona in 2016 after one season with Tampa Bay AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch. DeAngelo made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2016 and skated in 39 games for the franchise before being traded again, to the New York Rangers, in 2017. During that time with Arizona, DeAngelo was suspended three games for the physical abuse of officials. These disciplinary cases will extend to DeAngelo’s time with New York.
Rangers signed with DeAngelo for two years in 2020. Soon after, DeAngelo exhibited behavioral problems that led New York to cut ties. In January 2021, it was reported that DeAngelo had an altercation with Rangers netminder Alexander Georgiev; DeAngelo was put on waivers right after that. Former general manager Jeff Gorton clarified that the exemption decision was a formality and said DeAngelo played his last game for the team. In July, New York placed DeAngelo on unconditional concessions and purchased the remainder of his contract.
DeAngelo has gone on to be a polarizing figure too, regularly becoming hostile on social media about everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to US election coverage. Carolina still signed him on a one-year deal from last season, when he scored 51 points in 64 games.
In Philadelphia, DeAngelo will get another fresh start. And he’ll play there under tough new coach John Tortorella, who isn’t exactly known to be holding back either.