The Carolina Hurricanes are the rare contending team who have an asset they could sell, as their surplus of defensemen means that Tony DeAngelo could be on the move.
DeAngelo signed with the Hurricanes this summer after a successful campaign with Carolina in 2021-2022, but there has been no meaningful playing time available to him.
Jalen Chatfield won a training camp battle for the right-hand shot spot on the third pairing, and the Hurricanes have remained relatively healthy on the blue line, resulting in DeAngelo getting into just 27 games this year.
The Hurricanes are a forward-thinking team always trying to maximize the value of their assets, so they may well decide to move DeAngelo for a decent haul at the trade deadline to a team with needs on defense if they conclude that the value in doing so is worth more than the risk of having to go further down the depth chart if one of their defensive regulars gets injured.
Carolina is firmly entrenched in second place in the Metropolitan Division, a fair bit behind the New York Rangers, but well ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Tony DeAngelo
Contract Situation: Expiring after this season at $1.675 million cap hit
Season Stats: 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in 27 games
Possible Destinations: Toronto, Boston, Tampa Bay, Colorado
Any team acquiring DeAngelo knows exactly what they're getting. The New Jersey native is an all-or-nothing defenseman who is a force with the puck on his stick and in the offensive zone while being a total liability on the defensive end.
DeAngelo broke into the league with the Rangers, and he flourished there in 2019-2020 with 53 points in 68 games before the season shut down due to the pandemic. After a messy divorce, the Rangers bought out his contract.
His defensive shortcomings can be hidden a bit by pairing him with a true shutdown star, as Carolina did two years ago when they stapled him to Jaccob Slavin, but otherwise he best fits in on a bottom pairing where he can be kept away from the opponents' top threats while generating scoring chances against poor competition.
The Hurricanes traded him once before, sending him to Philadelphia for three draft picks in the summer of 2022, and DeAngelo floundered in John Tortorella's system and away from Slavin.
But plenty of teams could use some puck-moving ability and offensive potential on their defense, so it's possible that plenty of teams could be interested if the Hurricanes make him available.
Boston, Toronto, and Tampa Bay are all in the playoff picture and are all in need of help on defense, but DeAngelo is far enough down the list of trade targets that he may end up on a surprising suitor that just happened to like his game more than the market if he is moved.
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