New York Rangers: Tony DeAngelo deserves better

New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo made big strides during the preseason, showing that he’s ready to make a difference at the NHL level. Despite that, he’s starting the season as a healthy scratch.

The New York Rangers are embarking on their rebuild this season, and there’s a clear youth movement on the roster for the season opener. Filip Chytil, the Rangers’ 21st overall pick from the 2017 draft, is slotted for a top-nine role. Undrafted Vinni Lettieri stole a depth role over Cody McLeod. Neal Pionk is slated to play with Marc Staal.

While the forward group is mostly young players, Pionk is the lone representative of the youth movement on the blue line. Fredrik Claesson (25 years old) and Tony DeAngelo (22) will start the season in the press box, watching 31-year-old Adam McQuaid skate on the top pairing.

Along with McQuaid, the Rangers’ starting six is on the older side: Staal is also 31, and both Shattenkirk and Smith turn 30 this season. Skjei, at 24, is entering his prime.

It’s clear that Staal, Smith, and McQuaid don’t figure to be key pieces the next time the Rangers are competitive. The rebuild just started a few months ago, and there’s a long way to go.

Yet, DeAngelo is stuck behind the vets, watching in a suit.

If the glove fits…

David Quinn, since replacing Alain Vigneault as head coach of the New York Rangers, has preached a different type of system. Throughout the preseason, there was an emphasis on puck control and execution on breakouts.

Under Vigneault, the Rangers relied heavily on stretch passes to quickly advance down the rink. When those plays weren’t available, the Rangers’ defensemen were encouraged to simply dump the puck: high and hard off the glass.

The result was a fair amount of high-danger rush chances for the Rangers; on the flip side, they also rarely retained possession, and dump-outs would quickly result in renewed offensive time for the opponent.

Under Quinn, that philosophy is gone. The Rangers utilized a safety net in breakouts, hoping to find quick passes up to the forwards. If those passes weren’t available, there was always a safety valve in the form of the second defenseman. A quick dump back, a reset to the following side, and the Rangers had an easy second chance at a breakout while avoiding turnovers.

This system in theory fits DeAngelo like a glove. His smooth skating, escapability, and talent for moving the puck allowed him to execute breakout after breakout. It showed on the stat sheet, too: DeAngelo fit into the offense perfectly, chipping in a power play assist and 11 shots on goal in three preseason games.

Additionally, DeAngelo was involved in several individual plays, showing that he can take advantage when Quinn’s breakout scheme allows him room on the ice. With a little more puck luck, DeAngelo could have finished the preseason with four or five points, not just the single assist he recorded.

Despite all of these signs, though, DeAngelo is an extra. He outplayed McQuaid by a significant margin during the preseason, even showing better than Pionk most of the time.

If the Rangers are truly going to invest in this rebuild and find a bright future with their youth, DeAngelo can be an effective part of that. They just need to give his talent the trust necessary to see it bloom.