Following weeks of speculation on the trade front with little to show for it, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on unconditional waivers. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the team intends to buy him out if he clears waivers.
The 27-year-old had been at the center of trade talks on a reported deal that would have sent him back to Carolina. However, an NHL ruling ultimately caused the deal to be put on ice due to a clause in the CBA preventing teams from re-acquiring players with retention within a calendar year.
Following the resolution of the Flyers’ arbitration case with Noah Cates, the club had 72 hours to execute a buyout opened by the second window, as reported by Frank Seravalli. The buyout will cost Philadelphia just over $1.6 million against the cap for the next two seasons.
Acquired from the Hurricanes last summer in exchange for a package of draft capital, DeAngelo struggled with the Flyers this past season after signing a two-year, $10 million contract.
Often drawing the ire of head coach John Tortorella, the blueliner finished with a respectable 11 goals and 42 points, both of which led all Flyers defensemen. Away from the puck, however, DeAngelo once again labored, punctuated by his poor underlying defensive metrics and team-worst minus-27 rating.
Throughout his career, DeAngelo has had difficulty remaining with any of his clubs for an extended period. Originally drafted in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014 — falling to 19th overall due to character concerns — DeAngelo has since been traded and bought out multiple times, including in 2021 by the New York Rangers in the wake of a reported altercation with teammates.
As for DeAngelo’s next stop, it’s unclear at this time if the New Jersey native will ultimately wind up in Carolina. Following a busy free agency that saw last year’s Metropolitan Division winner add Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov, the Hurricanes have been heavily linked to the reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, a move that would likely make DeAngelo’s presence redundant.