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After concluding the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, the Flyers made a big move this morning. They traded three draft picks, a 2nd round in 2024, a 3rd in 2023, and a 4th from yesterday’s draft to the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s RFA rights. DeAngelo has signed or will sign, a two-year deal with the Flyers worth $5m AAV. The Flyers are taking a chance on one of the most polarizing players in the NHL.
DeAngelo, originally a 1st-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning (19th overall) back in 2014, is coming off a 51-point year with the Canes. DeAngelo averaged 19:49 ice time with Carolina, which set a new career-high. After essentially being exiled by the New York Rangers, he signed a one-year, $1m deal with the Canes to prove he could stay in the NHL.
On the ice, DeAngelo is by far one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. Among NHL defensemen, he finished tied for 12th in the league in points, tied for 12th in assists, and tied for 11th in goals. In the NHL, DeAngelo was the only defender to finish with over 50 points, despite playing less than 20 minutes a night. To put that in perspective, only three finished with over 40 (Tyson Barrie, Evan Bouchard, and DeAngelo). DeAngelo tied for 10th in the league in powerplay points with 20.
DeAngelo’s addition undoubtedly makes the Flyers better offensively. Defensively is a different story. Despite finishing +30, DeAngelo was not even a league-average defender. The move to bring him in is an insurance policy in the event that Ryan Ellis is unable to play. There are still so many questions surrounding the health of Ellis, but the belief is that he will play at some point this season.
On the Ellis front, Fletcher said at the draft that “he’s made progress. He very well could be ready early, but there’s certainly a chance that it could drive right into the season.”
DeAngelo’s skill is undeniable, but the questions about him are about his character. There was an altercation following an overtime loss in 2021 between him and Alexander Georgiev. DeAngelo had to be separated from the goalie by another player. This altercation led to him being waived and assigned to the taxi squad, before being sent away by the Rangers. At the time, the team described it as a series of events that were becoming a distraction for DeAngelo.
So the bottom line with this acquisition is the Flyers bringing in a good player with red flags surrounding his personality. Watching DeAngelo try to mesh with new head coach John Tortorella should be entertaining at the very least. Both are very fiery guys who are not afraid to show their rough side.
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Assuming Ellis is unable to start the year healthy, DeAngelo most likely starts on the first pair playing with Ivan Provorov. The Flyers love the Sanheim-Ristoleinen pair too much to break up. This means Nick Seeler is likely the third pair right-side defenseman with Cam York until Ellis is fully healthy.
Things are getting very interesting in South Philadelphia. Free agency opens on Wednesday, July 13 and the Flyers are not close to done making moves.
