Rumor: Tony DeAngelo “a fit” for a potential deal before the deadline.

DeAngelo finally on the move?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Rumor: Tony DeAngelo “a fit” for a potential deal before the deadline.
Jared Silber/NHLI/Getty

I gotta be honest here a big part of me believes this one belongs in the wishful thinking category, but it would be an entertaining scenario at the very least if it comes to pass.

Although the drama surrounding New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo was without a doubt one of the biggest stories of this National Hockey League season, if you tuned in to the NHL in just the last few months you might not even be aware of it. DeAngelo has completely fallen off the radar since being permanently benched by the Rangers after a series of incidents and although when he was initially waived there were reports that as many as 4 teams were interested in him, no deal has materialized as of yet.

The Rangers have indicated that they have zero interest in retaining any of DeAngelo's salary which comes in at a cap hit of  $4.8 million for both this season and the next, which could be a major factor in why no team has acquired him, but there's also the major risk of what his personality could do to your locker room to consider. In spite of these factors Rangers insider Larry Brooks, who has notoriously carried water for the Rangers over the years, has recently suggested that one team could very well take a look.

From Brooks:

You’re telling me that Tony DeAngelo wouldn’t be a fit or worthwhile risk for Florida?

Now Brooks linking Deangelo to the Panthers may be wishful thinking, but the alternative would appear to be the Rangers buying him out at the end of the season, but the idea isn't that crazy. The Panthers recently suffered a huge loss on the blue line when they lost star defenseman Aaron Ekblad to what appears to be a season ending injury, something that has created both a need and the cap space necessary to acquire a player like DeAngelo.

Brooks acknowledged that this would be a risk for the Panthers, as it would be for any team bringing in the controversial player, but with them poised to make a playoff run and with a big hole suddenly left open on their blue line, is this a risk they must seriously consider taking? 

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