Reports have surfaced today that defenceman Tony DeAngelo has officially signed a contract with the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg.
DeAngelo is only 28 years old and was a first round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014. He's scored at a 50 point pace three times in the last five seasons, but some other issues may be keeping him off the ice.
He has clear offensive talent when given opportunity and power play time, but DeAngelo's play in his own zone can often be full of mistakes. In 31 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, a very good team, DeAngelo posted a -7 rating. There's also been several incidents that have caused the concern that DeAngelo may be a problem in the locker room - notably the time he got in a fight with teammate Alexander Georgiev on the New York Rangers. Shortly after that event, DeAngelo was waived by the Rangers.
While the Edmonton Oilers were looking to bring a depth defenceman to training camp, NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested Tony DeAngelo as a potential fit. That position was eventually filled by Travis Dermott, and now that it looks like no other NHL team showed any interest, DeAngelo is heading to join a list of outcasts in the KHL. After 371 career NHL games, it looks like his pro career is done in North America.
The Edmonton Oilers are still surely in the market to add a defenceman, though. All insider reports suggest the Oilers will target a top four defenceman in trade during the season. They've got the salary cap space and assets to make a trade for a real impact player - someone better than Tony DeAngelo. And with how tight the Oilers locker room is, it's just not a good bet to add a player with those questions.
