Interestingly, despite the drama surrounding the player and his hefty contract, there is a ton of interest in New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo, reports Darren Dreger of TSN. During the most recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, the NHL insider suggests to keep an eye on the situation.
Related: DeAngelo Has “Played His Last Game” for Rangers, Team Will Look for Trade
Dreger says, “We know DeAngelo has been told to go home and await a trade. There’s a ton of interest, all of a sudden in Tony DeAngelo, and I’m told, according to a source, that DeAngelo could be moved in the next few days.”
Part of what could be creating such trade buzz are reports that the Rangers are willing to eat a big chunk of the defenseman’s salary. Elliotte Friedman reported in his 31 Thoughts column on Tuesday: “The Rangers have made it clear they will eat salary to facilitate a Tony DeAngelo trade.” At $4.8 million on this current deal, he’s not likely an attractive option. But, how much are the Rangers willing to take on in dead cap space over the course of the rest of this season and next?
If New York is willing to retain the max 50% of DeAngelo’s salary, perhaps it’s not a shock that some teams would be willing to overlook the drama that surrounds this player. And, at a pro-rated $2.4 million for this season and with an expiring contract at the end of next season, someone may be convinced to take a chance.
So too, if a sweetener is thrown in, who knows what teams are willing to listen. After all, this is a 25 year old who had 50+ points.
DeAngelo is Still A Risk
If DeAngelo is going to be acquired by a team, there’s a chance he could excel in a new role, but he’ll need to join a group that is well-equipped to handle any potential obstacles that come with a player who has gone public with his political views, been accused of creating a social media burner account, has allegedly gotten in a fight with a teammate and, according to the Rangers, pouts when he’s not being played.
So too, even if you ignore the fact there’s a lot of possible baggage with the player, he’s got one point in six games for the Rangers this season and appears to be far from the player who scored 53 points last season.
This is not a good fit for everyone. Teams will have to tread cautiously.
Next: Penguins Have Kicked Trade Tires on Canadiens’ Defenseman
