Controversial former Rangers defenseman now potential NHL free-agent option

Nonetheless, his return to North America could attract the attention of an NHL team or two. The 29-year-old defenseman had success in the NHL, with 48 goals and 210 points in 377 career games split between the Arizona Coyotes, Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Last season, he played 31 games with the Hurricanes and had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in a limited role. When Brett Pesce was injured early in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, DeAngelo took on a regular role on the Hurricanes blue line. He played nine postseason games and averaged over 19 minutes in ice time per game, contributing two assists.

DeAngelo played all six games against the Rangers in the second round. He had an assist in Carolina’s Game 2 overtime loss in New York and another in its home win in Game 4.

But despite defensemen his age signing big contracts this past offseason, DeAngelo failed to land a deal of any kind and decided in late September to play in the KHL.

Though DeAngelo’ controversial character is well know through the League, there could be a team interested in signing him for the stretch run on a minimum NHL contract.

Related: What’s next for Rangers after J.T. Miller trade speculation heats up

Potential landing spots for Tony DeAngelo

It should be noted that the Rangers have zero interest in a reunion with DeAngelo. They sent him home early in the 2020-21 season and eventually bough out the remainder of his contract. He had been benched early in the season by then-coach David Quinn and then had an altercation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev. That coupled with some controversial social media posts landed him on the outside looking in at the NHL.

DeAngelo does have skill, though. He had an NHL career-high 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists) with the Rangers in 2019-20 and two years later had 51 points in 64 games with the Hurricanes.

So, which teams might have interest in DeAngelo this time around?

Carolina Hurricanes

DeAngelo had two stints with the Hurricanes before heading over to Russia. He first played for them in the 2021-22 season after his tenure with the Rangers crashed and burned. Never known for his defense, DeAngeloe had a career-high plus-30 rating that season. He added a goal and nine assists in 14 playoff games.

After spending a season with the Flyers, he returned to Carolina last season in a part-time role. However, after finding his game in the KHL, Carolina may be interested in a third reunion. Their depth on defense is not the same this season after losing both Pesce and Brady Skjei in free agency, though they did add Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker.

Coach Rod Brind’Amour knows DeAngelo, and there were no issues in his previous two stints with the team. So, this makes sense for both parties.

Vancouver Canucks

There may not be a more hectic team in the NHL when it comes to rumor and drama than the Vancouver Canucks right now. Why not stir the pot even more by bringing in DeAngelo? Jokes aside, the Canucks have far too good of a roster to be a bubble team in the playoff race. They need to do something to shake things up, and rather than trading away talent, maybe brining in a puck-moving defenseman like DeAngelo could help their cause.

Quinn Hughes carries the defensive core and team as a whole with 50 points on the season. The next closest defenseman is Tyler Myers with just 13 points. Despite all of the drama surrounding the Canucks this season, a serious case can be made to bring in a player like DeAngelo who, at the very least, could provide some more points from the defense position.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins haven’t had the season they envisioned after making some key offseason acquisitions such as center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov, as well as signing goalie Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year extension. Even so, they’re in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, though only a maximum of seven points separate them from seven teams right on their heels looking to make a push.

It’s safe to say that Boston could use some help on the back end, especially in terms of points. It’s been a rough season for Charlie McAvoy, who has just 20 points in 45 games. In fact, it’s Mason Lohrei who leads all Bruins defenseman in points with 22, but he sports a minus-10 rating, worst among Boston’s defensemen. This is another team who may take the risk of adding DeAngelo, hoping that he can provide more depth and some added offense to their struggling defense corps.

Dane Walsh is a life-long fan of the New York Rangers. Growing up in the tri-state area, Dane has … More about Dane Walsh

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