Fellow city-foe the New York Islanders have signed former Ranger Tony DeAngelo to a one-year deal for a prorated percentage of the $775,000 league minimum.
The Islanders made the announcement on Friday that they were bringing in the lightning-rod former Rangers defenseman on a one-year deal to help mend their blue line, which is two men down for what is an undisclosed period of time after Noah Dobson hurt his right leg Monday night (currently listed as week-to-week) and with Mike Reilly still recovering from heart surgery.
#Isles News: The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. pic.twitter.com/IeL4pBylzi
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 24, 2025
DeAngelo, who is currently on waivers, is eligible to join the team Saturday if cleared Friday. The lightning-rod defenseman has had plenty of friction in his previous NHL stops and was unable to find a home before this season, ultimately choosing to sign a deal with SKA of St. Petersburg in the KHL. Perhaps he has gone from believing his NHL career was over, to going back to playing in New York.
The 29-year-old defenseman played last season for the Hurricanes, appearing in 34 games along with nine playoff games and tallying two assists. Most recently with SKA — one of the top clubs in Russia — he's had 32 points in 34 games.
A New Jersey native, DeAngelo was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He was with the Arizona Coyotes from 2016-17, before playing for the Rangers from 2017-2021.
DeAngelo’s tenure with the Blueshirts ended in an infamous controversy. After a confrontation with then-assistant GM Chris Drury, DeAngelo committed a turnover that led to a Pittsburgh overtime goal during the COVID-affected 2020-21 season. Following the game, DeAngelo apparently chirped at Rangers then-goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, “make a f—— save,” which prompted Georgiev to swing at DeAngelo.
DeAngelo was released from the Rangers after the incident and ultimately had the final year of his deal bought out.
However, clearly the Islanders are desperate. DeAngelo should slide right in to help run the Isles power play, which has been ranked last in the league for the majority of the season.