New York Rangers: What does Tony DeAngelo have to do to be effective?

DeAngelo is in his second stint with the Rangers this season. This time around he’ll need to improve if he wants to stick around.

The New York Rangers have been outright decimated by injuries. As of late the blue line has taken a brunt of the pain and it has shown. Marc Staal had been in and out of the lineup due to a hip injury, Ryan McDonagh has been dealing with nagging injuries and Kevin Shattenkirk is now on the shelf long term.

The team’s power play will miss its driver while Shattenkirk is on the shelf. As a team heavily dependent on the power play to score, Shattenkirk being out of the lineup means a stagnated man-advantage. The Rangers have been struggling to score since the start of the new year, averaging 2.3 goals per game in that time. The injury to Shattenkirk opened the door for Tpny DeAngelo’s return to the NHL.

Let’s take a look at what he has to do to be effective.

Related Story: Shattenkirk's injury should yield change

Play physical

DeAngelo doesn’t necessarily carry the ideal body size for physical play. He is a small 5-foot-11, 181 pounds. However, he has shown his ability to use that frame, albeit small, to collect just under three hits per game since he was called back up.

DeAngelo’s ability to play physical would help the team immensely because the Rangers currently sit 15th in the NHL with 21.1 hits per game. Hits are a slightly misleading stat, teams that hit more have the puck less. However, hitting is part of hockey and they can be part of a team’s formula.

This is an area that coach Alain Vigneault clearly values, he was the one who pushed for the Cody McLeod waiver claim. If DeAngelo can play with a sandpaper edge that also has an offensive upside he keeps a less talented player in McLeod out of the lineup.

Play fast and stay out of the box

The Rangers love to play a fast-paced game oriented around generating odd-man rushes. Coach Vigneault wants his team to have the puck out of the defensive zone and in transition as quickly as possible.

The team’s system is ineffective because players have gotten muddled along the boards. The team gives up prolonged periods in the defensive zone because they get caught along the boards and cannot transition to offense.

If DeAngelo can get the puck and use his speed to get it out of the zone, he will quickly find a home on Vigneault’s blue line.

Playing smart will be a big key for DeAngelo, he has to stay within himself and not lose his cool. If the defenseman is in the penalty box, the puck is not on his stick. While the Rangers have done well at playing disciplined hockey overall, defensemen Brendan Smith has not. The veteran defenseman is sixth in the league in penalty minutes per game.

Score and have power play success

The firebrand defenseman was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning because of his offensive ability. DeAngelo averaged just about 48 points a season in the OHL, and 24 in the AHL. So, he certainly has the ability to be a contributor in the offensive zone.

However, in his NHL experience, it has been a different story. In 50 games in the NHL, DeAngelo has a meager 17 points. If the 22-year old can be more consistent offensively, especially on the power play, he could make himself invaluable to the team. Without Kevin Shattenkirk in the lineup due to surgery, the team desperately needs a power play quarterback.

Shattenkirk was the orchestrator for the team and had his fair share of scoring.  The New Rochelle native had 12 power play points and 23 points overall before he went out of the lineup.

DeAngelo has seen some power play time in his first two games back, he tallied a power play assist in Sunday night’s loss to the Kings. He also added another even-strength assist in Tuesday night’s loss to the Ducks.

Closing Thoughts

There is obvious talent in DeAngelo, he was a first-round pick after all. But this far into his NHL career he has yet to catch on anywhere for an extended period time. All of DeAngelo’s value lies in his potential, he has yet to do anything tangible to make himself wanted.

It is important not only for the team but for DeAngelo himself. He has never stuck around in the NHL for an extended stretch of time. The defenseman will likely have the rest of the regular season to prove his worth.

The cost for DeAngelo was paid in blood. Derek Stepan a known quantity and a key component for one of the best eras of sustained success in Rangers history. The move meant that the team saw potential in DeAngelo, something that he has only shown in brief spurts.

Next: Thoughts on Shattenkirk, DeAngelo and Andersson

So, if DeAngelo wants to prove the critics wrong and stick around, this is the time to earn a permanent spot on the blue line at the NHL level