Will the New York Rangers actually trade Tony DeAngelo?

Tony DeAngelo has played his last game ever as a New York Ranger according to General Manager Jeff Gorton. Now, despite going unclaimed on waivers, trade rumors are starting to circulate.

To start, I believe we have no choice, but to address the political elephant in the room… I don’t enjoy discussing politics or off-ice incidents, but with Tony DeAngelo, you can’t discuss one without discussing the other.

From politically-charged tirades on Twitter to racially-insensitive situations to his personal stance on COVID-19 to shoving a referee… DeAngelo has had his name in the press for all the wrong reasons since his time with the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League.

To be frank, I don’t care about DeAngelo’s political opinions. I strongly disagree with them, I’ll share that. You might too or you might love them. That’s your prerogative, but this isn’t a political issue we’re discussing here. This is a personality issue. This is about DeAngelo’s behavior including unsportsmanlike penalties, fighting with his goaltender, controversial statements, and the such that keep happening.

Some fans used to be able to blame the media for how he was being portrayed. But, now, after this final altercation that has almost been confirmed to be physical… it’s not the media… it’s DeAngelo. The media didn’t bully the front office into waiving DeAngelo. He apparently made that happen on his own. The media, ergo the fans, still don’t know what actually happened, but the Rangers do and they felt it was enough to cut ties with him.

DeAngelo unclaimed, but not unwanted?

After going unclaimed off of waivers, many speculated that DeAngelo had not only played his last game in New York but in the NHL altogether. However, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, there is “a ton of interest” in the 25-year-old, New Jersey-native.

“A ton of interest…” What does that exactly mean? If teams weren’t willing to take him outright when they could get him for nothing, then that means that the Rangers have had to sweeten the deal, no?

If one were to guess, it could be speculated that “a ton of interest” means one of three things: One, the Rangers could offer to retain salary. Two, they could offer to up a prospect or other pieces alongside DeAngelo. Or, three, if worst comes to worst, they could offer to take on another team’s bad contract in exchange.

It’s most than likely a combination of the three.

Public relations and trade value

Despite the ongoing headaches, DeAngelo, who finished twelfth in Norris Trophy voting just last year, has a tremendous amount of skill. Granted he certainly wasn’t in the Norris Trophy conversation for his defensive abilities but his offensive production.

Teams know that trading for DeAngelo could result in public backlash. Regardless, if you feel there should or shouldn’t be, the reality of the situation is that there will be. Certain teams will balk at trading for him unless the deal is fairly beneficial. Others will see this as an opportunity to rip off the Rangers and at the end of the day, the Rangers may just have to accept being ripped off.

The question is… what is DeAngelo currently worth? There have yet to be any leaked trade rumors, so we don’t know if the offers involve prospects, draft picks, or a washing machine. We don’t have enough information to assemble a package just yet.

However, here are a few hypotheticals that could make sense:

Canadian exchange rate

In terms of politics, DeAngelo would make fewer waves playing in the newly named North Division. He would have to quarantine for two-weeks, as Patrik Laine did, but a Canadian team could be more willing to gamble on him. DeAngelo, then out of sight and therefore out of mind, could use a stint in Canada to get back in good standing with the rest of the league.

Ottawa is the ideal trade candidate. Being as young as they are, the Senators could use a veteran puck-mover on the blue line to play alongside Thomas Chabot. In addition, DeAngelo could be allotted the opportunity to further mature with its young core. It should also be noted that since the Senators have the cap space, the Rangers wouldn’t necessarily need to retain salary. Could the Senators potentially offer another young journeyman, Alex Galchenyuk, and a draft pick in return? Or perhaps the Rangers try to reunite with either Artem Anisimov or Derek Stepan? It could be the Arizona trade in reverse.

Toronto could benefit from a DeAngelo-esque player, but their cap restraints would make the deal difficult unless the Rangers agree to retain salary. The same can be said for Calgary and Winnipeg. Additionally, none of the three really has pieces they’d be willing to give up that the Rangers would actually want. Zach Bogosian is just another Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson. The only one that sorta makes sense is Sam Bennett. However, the Rangers would have to eat a lot of cap to make that happen.

Do you know who does make sense? Edmonton and Vancouver. Both teams have contracts on the books they’d like to be rid of (Loui Eriksson, James Neal) and both teams could use a player with DeAngelo’s skillset. It makes sense for the Oilers and Canucks, but does it make sense for the New York Rangers? Would they be offered enough in return, because at the end of the day, if the deal isn’t there, don’t force anything; just let DeAngelo stay home.

Wait and see for Tony D

Other organizations could potentially utilize DeAngelo. Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh make sense, but then you’d be trading within the division which would be a nightmare and a surefire rip-off in return. Can you imagine trading DeAngelo away only for the Rangers to play against him five or six more times this year?

The problem with this is that it’s all speculation. The Rangers are more than likely looking for help at center, but has a team made that offer? Does a trade that benefits the Rangers actually exist? That remains to be seen and until a deal or rumor manifests, “a ton of interest” is just interesting until then.

Tony DeAngelo is far and away the most publicly controversial New York Ranger since Sean Avery. As talented as he is, there is a definitive reason that he has been with three (and soon to be four) NHL organizations since 2015. Hopefully, he’ll live up to all his potential at his next destination.

What do you think? What do you think the New York Rangers will get for the skilled, yet difficult defenseman?

Comment below.