By all indications, the Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a veteran right-handed defenceman after losing Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg earlier this month.
Daily Faceoff hockey insider Frank Seravalli has already linked the Oilers with UFA defenders Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz, and Kevin Shattenkirk, and he threw another name into the mix during his appearance on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on Monday.
“I’ll throw one other name at you that I don’t think has gotten much play internally but I think is a better player than all the names that I mentioned and who’s still unsigned: Tony DeAngelo,” Seravalli said. “I think what you’re talking about is the potential for a 50-point defenceman on your team that is still in his 20s, that is ready, willing, and able to play for close to the league minimum, and would absolutely love to be in Edmonton.”
DeAngelo, 28, spent the 2023-24 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, collecting three goals and 11 points while averaging 14:20 of ice time in 31 games. The 5’11” right-handed defender added two assists in nine games with the Hurricanes in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Throughout his 371-game NHL career with the Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, and Arizona Coyotes, DeAngelo has constantly been a source of controversy. During his tenure with the Rangers, DeAngelo drew the ire of some fans for posting his conservative political views on his personal Twitter account; the Rangers ultimately parted ways with DeAngelo after he was involved in a physical altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev after a game.
After a highly productive season with the Hurricanes in 2021-22, DeAngelo joined the Philadelphia Flyers, leading some onlookers to speculate he might struggle to get along with head coach John Tortorella. Those fears proved to be true, with the Flyers exercising a buyout on DeAngelo after just one season — making him the first player in NHL history to be bought out multiple times.
The Oilers have seldom hesitated over the past few seasons to add individuals with checkered pasts who they viewed as being capable of helping them win, including Evander Kane, Corey Perry, and general manager Stan Bowman. They further opened themselves up to criticism last summer by inviting Jake Virtanen to their training camp on a PTO, although he failed to make the team.
Over parts of eight seasons with the Coyotes, Rangers, Hurricanes, and Flyers, DeAngelo has collected 48 goals and 210 points in 371 games. The Sewell, New Jersey product has added 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 26 career playoff contests.
“All the intel that I have is that he’s a really well-liked teammate,” Seravalli said. “Have there been some skirmishes or scuffles that have popped up over the course of his career? Did he gain notoriety for his Twitter account? Yeah, I mean, those things are all true, or some of them are true, some of them have become legend.
“When it comes to filling this roster — and the Oilers have shown this before, think about the player we were just talking about in Evander Kane — like, it can’t be a popularity contest,” Seravalli added. “I say this all the time when we talk about building a team. Are we looking to have a team of nice guys who win in the community, or are we looking to have a team that wins the Stanley Cup? I think there’s a way to blend both of those missions, but I’m not leaving any stone unturned on trying to win a Stanley Cup.
