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Anthony DeAngelo

East Notes: Tanev, Subban, DeAngelo, Lundkvist

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The Penguins are optimistic that winger Brandon Tanev will be cleared to play for the start of the playoffs next week, notes Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The veteran has been dealing with upper-body injuries in the second half of the season with his latest one keeping him out for more than a month.  However, he has resumed skating with the team in recent days which bodes well for his return.  Tanev was in the midst of his best offensive season before the injury bug struck as he has seven goals and nine assists in 32 games this season while his physicality (he’s averaging over 4.3 hits per game which is the highest rate of his career) will be a welcome addition for the grittier postseason style.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Although Devils defenseman P.K. Subban came off the COVID Protocol Related Absences List last Saturday, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link) that he still has not resumed skating and isn’t expected to play in New Jersey’s final two games this season. His year comes to an end with five goals and 14 assists in 44 games while averaging 22:22 per contest, second only to Damon Severson.
  • While Chris Drury wasn’t the GM for the Rangers at the time that Anthony DeAngelo was dismissed from the team, he won’t be overturning that decision, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. DeAngelo was sent home early in the year following an altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev and while there was believed to be some interest in him at the trade deadline, the defenseman declined the offer to terminate his contract to allow him to catch on elsewhere.  He has one more year left at a $4.8MM AAV, one that is all but certain to head for a buyout this summer.
  • Also from Brooks’ column, contract talks are expected to pick up with defenseman Nils Lundkvist in the near future. The 20-year-old has had two productive seasons with Lulea of the SHL and is ready to make the jump to North America but when the Rangers fell out of the playoff race thereby effectively eliminating the need to get a deal done as soon as his season in Sweden came to an end, those were temporarily put on the back burner.

Anthony DeAngelo Declined Contract Termination

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This past weekend, we saw former Devils winger Nikita Gusev accept a contract termination to give him a chance to catch on somewhere else to finish the season.  While rare, there could have been a second one of these this year as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers approached defenseman Anthony DeAngelo about this scenario, noting that Montreal was among the teams interested in him if he was to become an unrestricted free agent.  However, the blueliner declined and will instead be bought out this summer.

DeAngelo was waived in late January after an altercation with Alexandar Georgiev and after clearing, he was assigned to the taxi squad where he has remained ever since.  However, he has not been with the team since then and while they were attempting to loan him to an AHL club last month, that clearly didn’t materialize.

While it may seem odd that DeAngelo turned down a chance to play again this season, there is definitely a financial component to consider.  He would have had to walk away from the remainder of his $4.3MM salary this season.  It would depend on when the termination was to occur to do an exact calculation but it would have been with somewhere around 30% of the season left, which works out to roughly a $1.29MM forfeiture.  On top of that, he wouldn’t have collected any of his $5.3MM salary for next season.  While it appears he could have had a chance to play elsewhere, that’s still a lot of money to walk away from.

Instead, as expected, the Rangers will buy him out this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent at that time.  As a 25-year-old, he’ll only be entitled to one-third of the salary over two years instead of the standard two-thirds which means he’ll collect $1.767MM while New York will incur cap charges of $383K next year and $883K in 2022-23, per CapFriendly.

Snapshots: Ullmark, Beaulieu, Reaves, DeAngelo

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While the Sabres aren’t expected to get a contract extension in place with Linus Ullmark today, they don’t intend to move him by today’s trade deadline, reports John Wawrow of the Associated Press (Twitter link).  Instead, the team remains hopeful that they’ll be able to work out a new deal with the netminder before free agency opens up this summer.  Ullmark has had a pretty successful year with Buffalo despite all of their struggles, posting a 2.64 GAA along with a .917 SV% in 19 starts this season.  That has him positioned to land a nice increase on his current $2.6MM salary either from the Sabres or elsewhere this summer.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets have transferred Nathan Beaulieu to LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The defenseman had been ruled out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month so it was a move that could have been done at any time.  The placement adds another $1.15MM to Winnipeg’s LTIR pool, giving them just under $4.8MM in full-season cap hit that can be brought in.  That said, that number could drop a bit if they recall Kristian Vesalainen back up from the taxi squad later today; that would push Winnipeg’s spending room to a little under $4MM.
  • Golden Knights winger Ryan Reaves won’t face any supplementary discipline for his hit on Coyotes defenseman Jordan Gross yesterday, reports David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The ruling appears to be that while there was definitely contact to the head, it was not the principal point of contact.
  • The Rangers aren’t expected to find a late trade partner for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, tweets Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The blueliner hasn’t played since clearing waivers and being dismissed from the team in early February.  With another year left on his deal with a $4.8MM AAV (and a $5.3MM salary), he’s pretty much a lock to be bought out this summer.

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers

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We are now less than two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers are a rebuilding team with a large assortment of promising, young pieces to build around. The team has been competitive this season, but is still a few pieces away from rounding out into a contender.

This is the description of a seller. The problem this poses to the Rangers: who are they supposed to sell? The roster is completely devoid of valuable impending free agents. Not one of New York’s UFA’s-to-be is at the top or even the middle of any buyer’s wish list. In a cap-strapped, expansion-affected, in-season trade market, the Rangers are also not going to make any major moves right now to shake up their roster or look to add those missing core pieces. The Rangers should be sellers; they simply have nothing to sell at this moment.

Record

16-15-4, .514, 6th in East Division

Deadline Status

Stand Pat (By Default)

Deadline Cap Space

$4.01MM in full-season space ($17.87MM at the deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: NYR 1st, BUF 3rd, NYR 3rd, OTT 4th, LAK 4th, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
2022: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th

Trade Chips

A warning for the following: the word “chips” should be taken with a grain of salt – and nothing is worse than chips without enough salt. The Rangers’ trade chips are either under-seasoned or old and stale. New York could deal the whole bag for the trade capital equivalent of 99 cents. There is nothing to see here.

The most recognizable rentals on the New York roster are veteran defensemen Jack Johnson and Brandon Smith, two of the most maligned defenders in the NHL in recent years. Johnson has already cleared waivers without any takers, while Smith’s $4.35MM contract means he is unlikely to move.

Phil Di Giuseppe is the Ranger’s lone impending free agent forward on the NHL roster and their best available rental. The 27-year-old winger has eight points in 25 games, which isn’t anything special, but puts him on a 26-point full-season pace – a good value at just $700K. Di Giuseppe may not be a household name, but he has nearly 200 NHL games to his credit as well. Contenders could do worse for a cheap depth rental.

As for players with some term on their contracts, the Rangers could listen on forwards Colin Blackwell and Kevin Rooney, defenseman Anthony Bitetto, or veteran goaltender Keith Kinkaid. However, they have to be wary of the Expansion Draft exposure requirements and the repercussions that moving any of these players would have. Especially at forward, where the team already dealt away Brendan Lemieux, moving another term forward is a shaky proposition.

Of course, the big name on the block in New York is defenseman Anthony DeAngelo. With more than enough talent to command a nice trade return on ability alone, the fact is that if a DeAngelo trade was going to happen, it likely would have already. Some teams are wary of his character concerns, while others are not comfortable with adding his $4.8MM cap hit to their 2021-22 payroll. Either way, DeAngelo seems likely to stay put in New York through the season until he can be used as Expansion Draft fodder and then bought out. DeAngelo is too good not to play in the NHL again, but it won’t be this year.

Others to Watch For: F Jonny Brodzinski ($700K, UFA), F Anthony Greco ($737.5K, 2022 UFA), F Patrick Newell ($792.5K, RFA), D Darren Raddysh ($700K, Group 6 UFA), D Mason Geertsen ($725K, 2022 UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks and Prospects – Read: Mid-to-late-round draft picks and C- or D-level prospects. Sorry, Rangers fans. This is not going to be an exciting deadline. This is the best you can hope for. Hold tight until the off-season and wait for GM Jeff Gorton to try to swing a blockbuster for a top-six center.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, DeAngelo, Draft

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are the current kings of the NHL, leading the league standings and by a decent margin. In a rare season in which the Leafs don’t have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning and more importantly the dreaded Boston Bruins early in the playoffs, Toronto is understandably excited about their prospects and willing to load up before the deadline to give themselves their best shot at a title. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team’s current focus is on bolstering their forward corps. He states that the goal is to add a middle-six forward prior to the trade deadline and, if possible, one that could line up at center on the third line or shift to wing and play higher in the lineup. One potential fit that continues to be linked to Toronto is Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund, if you can call him “middle-six”. On a struggling Predators team, Granlund has been one of the few highlights, leading all Nashville forwards in ice time, blocked shots, and Corsi For and second only to Filip Forsberg in scoring. Dreger believes that Granlund, an impending free agent, will absolutely be available as the Predators seem poised to begin a fire sale of sorts and he could be the ideal pick-up for Toronto as a luxury depth addition – a current top-line forward moving into a middle-six role. Of course, given Granlund’s strong play there will be other suitors and Toronto will certainly take a look at additional options should a Granlund deal not prove to be viable.

  • Trade talks have quieted down on New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, as it seems that teams do not want to make the financial commitment this year and next to the polarizing defenseman despite his obvious ability. Yet, DeAngelo wants to get back on the ice. He was told that his time with the Rangers was over and, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli, that extends to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as well. New York has informed DeAngelo that he will not be assigned to their affiliate; however, they are willing to loan him out to another AHL team. Seravalli reports that DeAngelo and his representation are currently in the process of trying to find a spot for him to play out the rest of this season in the minors. In the big picture, the fact that it has come to this means that a trade elsewhere seems highly unlikely. Expect DeAngelo to be bought out this summer and take a short-term “show me” deal elsewhere.
  • Even as the Canadian junior leagues continue to work towards a full return to play, there are concerns about the 2021 NHL Draft and the pressure on teams due to the lack of complete information on eligible prospects. While European leagues, American junior leagues, and the NCAA have all had some semblance of a full season, the same cannot be said for Canada, the largest producer of NHL talent. A number of teams have expressed support for postponing the draft until later this year or even next year and a number of option have been proposed. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent radio appearance that this change is easier said than done. Due to all of the language pertaining to draft eligibility and rights, all collectively bargained, it will be difficult to postpone the draft, even if it is in the best interests of the teams and many prospects. Friedman notes that the NHLPA presented the league with a number of issues that would need to be addressed before the draft could be delayed and Friedman hears that that there simply may not be enough fight on the league side to figure out the many solutions. Dreger reports that, one way or another, answers are needed soon and there could be a meeting as early as Thursday to discuss all issues and options.

Flames Notes: Gaudreau, Bennett, Ryan

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After a dismal 2019-20 campaign in which he posted a career-low in points and took a step back even on a per-game basis, Calgary Flames star forward Johnny Gaudreau looks like his old self early on this season. Gaudreau recorded a point in each of the Flames’ first nine games and has six goals and eleven points total through ten games. With Gaudreau’s elite production back, last year’s trade rumors have all but dried up, writes Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon. Even at a 68-point full-year pace last season, Gaudreau’s $6.75MM AAV contract was a value. However, there was considerable discussion about moving him in the case of his scoring touch continuing to fall off over the remainder of the contract. There was also a lot made of Gaudreau’s connection to the Philadelphia Flyers, his favorite team while growing up in New Jersey, and whether he simply desired a move out of Calgary. However, now that he is back to point-per-game scoring, there seems little chance that Gaudreau is going anywhere before his current contract expires after next season. While there are many who will continue to speculate that Gaudreau will leave for Philadelphia as a free agent – Dixon also notes the possible fit with the New Jersey Devils – he appears to be back in good graces with the Flames and their fans and the organization will do all it can to retain the dynamic forward for as long as possible.

  • While the trade rumors are quiet when it comes to Gaudreau, it is the exact opposite for teammate Sam Bennett. Bennett is on the block and while the Flames have said they will take their time with a potential deal, his healthy scratch for the team’s last game somewhat betrays that idea. Whether or not Bennett has formally requested a trade out of Calgary remains unclear, there is seemingly universal agreement that the clock is ticking on the current relationship between he and the Flames. What everyone is not in agreement on however is what the Flames may be looking at in return – or more specifically who. New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo is the only trade target rivaling Bennett on the rumor mill right now and it is easy to see how the two teams may be interest in some sort of swap of the two outcasts. Bob McKenzie was the first to report that Calgary was interested in DeAngelo, but this was refuted by Flames beat writer Eric Francis. The pendulum has now swung back the other way, as The New York Post’s Larry Brooks has responded directly to Francis, stating the contrary. Not only does USA Today’s Vincent corroborate Brooks’ side of the story, he adds that the Rangers are also equally interested in Bennett. While the trade is unlikely to be a simple one-for-one due to salary discrepancy, there could be more to a potential Bennett-DeAngelo swap than some may have initially believed. Either way, both players seem destined for new teams sooner rather than later.
  • While head coach Geoff Ward has not yet disclosed his plans for Saturday night’s lineup, per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, he may have no choice but to put Bennett back in. Derek Ryan, who has been invaluable as a bottom-six contributor to the penalty kill and face-off dot so far this year, suffered a finger injury in the Flames’ last game. While the team initially hoped that it was a minor injury and believed Ryan would not miss much time, Ward told the media that Ryan saw a specialist and has been diagnosed with a fracture. Depending on the location and severity, a finger fracture can take two-to-eight weeks to heal. There is currently no timeline for his return and someone will need to take his place in the starting lineup for the time being. Bennett, who is capable of playing a physical, energy role, is the best candidate, so if he is scratched again it will only serve to strengthen the argument that the Flames are protecting their trade asset for a forthcoming deal.

East Notes: Penguins Injuries, Rangers, Quinn

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The Penguins have been hit hard by the injury bug so far this season but help is on the way.  On top of John Marino being removed from the CPRA list, fellow blueliners Kris Letang and Mike Matheson were full participants in practice today and should be available to play on Saturday, notes Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Pittsburgh has been forced to use 11 different defenders in the early going this season with just ten games played so far.

Meanwhile, Vensel adds that winger Zach Aston-Reese also travelled with the team on the second leg of their road trip with head coach Mike Sullivan suggesting that he will be a game-time decision at some point in this three-game stretch.  The 26-year-old has yet to play this season while recovering from shoulder surgery and will need to be activated off LTIR before being allowed to return.

Elsewhere in the East Division:

  • While there are several teams believed to be interested in Blues defenseman Vince Dunn, the Rangers are not among them, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. New York certainly has a need on their back end – particularly on the offensive side of things – following the dismissal of Anthony DeAngelo but for now at least, they’re staying away.  St. Louis is seeking a first-round pick for Dunn who is making an affordable $1.875MM this season but will be a restricted free agent again this summer and will have arbitration eligibility this time around.
  • Although the Sabres were hoping to have one of their top prospects in Jack Quinn available for their AHL season-opener, that wasn’t the case. As Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News details, with Quinn being on Buffalo’s taxi squad just before their schedule was put on pause, he must now go through the same quarantine protocols as the NHL squad even though he hadn’t skated with them for a while due to an upper-body injury.  Accordingly, his pro debut will have to wait a little longer.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Stepan

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As if there weren’t enough whispers surrounding Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett, his healthy scratch last night did not help. The news emerged well ahead of the Flames’ game on Thursday that Bennett would not play and TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that speculation swelled across the league that this implied Bennett was available for trade. Bennett’s play has improved of late and the player himself even told the media that the scratch came as a surprise. However, with Bennett wanting out of Calgary – though he would not confirm a formal trade request – perhaps the Flames want to look at other internal options who could take Bennett’s place, as well as protect the health of their trade asset. With that said, Dreger warns not to get too excited. He says a trade is certainly not imminent, which harkens back to the Flames own admission that they would not rush to trade Bennett and may not move him at all if they cannot find the right deal.

  • As for the possibility of a trade involving Bennett and another player on the block, New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, there are mixed reports. On Wednesday, Bob McKenzie reported on the NBC Sports broadcast that the Calgary Flames were among four or five teams that had interest in the “reclamation project” that is DeAngelo. A talented, but polarizing player, DeAngelo could be of interest to any number of teams, so even a Calgary team with good defensive depth would not be a major surprise. However, Sportsnet’s Flames beat writer Eric Francis dispelled the rumors of Calgary interest in DeAngelo. He also reiterated that the team will take their time with a Bennett trade and will not rush into a deal for another player on the rumor mill.
  • The other teams mentioned by McKenzie as kicking the tires on DeAngelo: the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings. As rebuilding teams, taking a chance on the talent and youth of DeAngelo makes a ton of sense for any of these clubs. Considering that DeAngelo has already cleared waivers as well, Detroit or L.A. could also convince New York to add a draft pick to the trade, while Anaheim may be more interested in the Rangers retaining some of DeAngelo’s $4.8MM salary.
  • Despite an impressive win over the rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, the season has not gone as planned so far for the Ottawa Senators. After adding some veterans to the roster this off-season, the team hoped the influx of experience and talent combined with their considerable youth and upside would result in more wins. Thus far, they have the league’s worst record at 2-8-1. As a result, changes could be coming to the roster. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that one major change could be a quick flip of veteran center Derek Stepan. Stepan was acquired right before training camp in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes but has failed to make much of an impact for the Senators. He has just three points and -7 rating through ten games, averaging just two shots per game and on pace for the worst possession numbers of his career. It is believed that Stepan is as unhappy with his role in Ottawa as the Senators are in his production. A separation could be coming soon  since the veteran still has value across the league, especially on an expiring contract. Stepan, 30, is a durable, two-way center who has scored at a 40-point pace or better in each of nine NHL season prior to last year.

Rangers Place Tony DeAngelo On Waivers

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1:45 p.m.: The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) reports that an incident between DeAngelo and Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev that occurred immediately after the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins Saturday is the cause for DeAngelo being placed on waivers.

The scribe reports that three sources confirmed that the two players got into it in the tunnel on the way to the Rangers’ locker room. The altercation was quickly broken up and Georgiev was given a maintenance day Sunday due to the incident. The Rangers neither confirmed or denied the altercation.

1:00 p.m.: The Associated Press’ Steven Whyno talked to Rangers’ coach David Quinn after the move to put DeAngelo on waivers:

“Things happen in pro sports and that was a decision the organization made,” said Quinn. “It’s part of the business. It’s a decision we made. We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t want to get into specifics.”

Quinn added that DeAngelo was held out of practice Sunday to protect the waiver process, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The coach said it was an organizational decision to keep him off the ice today.

“This isn’t about one incident, it’s not about one thing,” said Quinn. “This is a situation that the organization felt was best at this current time and we’ll see how the situation plays out.”

11:06 a.m.: The New York Rangers surprised some people Sunday when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that defenseman Anthony DeAngelo was placed on waivers. The 25-year-old, who just signed a two-year, $9.6MM deal during the offseason, is coming off a breakout 15-goal, 53-point season in 68 games. He has played six games under that new contract, but his struggles this season could be a sign that his time with the Rangers has come to an end.

The blueliner had an impressive campaign in 2019-20 with that offensive breakout. He received five votes in the Norris Trophy voting (the same number that Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen received). He put up a 30-point campaign in 2018-19 season and looked to have turned a corner last season after having spent time with three different organizations over his short career, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes.

What makes the move even more interesting is the fact the team gave him quite a raise in salary during the offseason. He has only played in five of the team’s eight games for the Rangers, who are currently sitting in last place in the East Division. He has averaged more than 20 minutes in his last three contests with New York, which includes his first point of the season Saturday in a overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, his minus-six rating could also be a reason for the move. On top of that, DeAngelo has been asked to move to his opposite side this year and has also lost some power play time to Adam Fox this season, both which likely have played a part in his offensive struggles so far this year.

Several teams are on the lookout for defensive help and could be candidates to grab DeAngelo, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins, although DeAngelo’s AAV could be an issue for some of those teams.

Defense Notes: McQuaid, Klefbom, Yandle, DeAngelo

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Although it was fair to assume that the career of Adam McQuaid was over, seeing as he has not played in close to two years, the physical defenseman has officially announced his retirement to CBC’s Shane Ross. McQuaid, who played ten seasons in the NHL but routinely struggled with the injuries associated with his aggressive style, tells Ross that the pain became too much for him to handle and ultimately made him realize that he could not continue playing. “I guess I’ve known for awhile now that I wouldn’t be playing again,” McQuaid said, “It got to a point where I felt like I really kind of tapped out my body.” McQuaid, who spent the vast majority of his decade-long career with the Boston Bruins, still calls the city home and is feeling much better after hanging up the skates. McQuaid was traded by the Bruins ahead of the 2018-19 season that would be his last, which he split between the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. Following off-season knee surgery and still feeling pain from a neck injury, McQuaid did not sign with anyone for the 2019-20 season and made the decision not to attempt a comeback this season either. He finishes his NHL playing career just eight hits short of one thousand and also racked up 834 blocked shots and 694 penalty minutes in 512 games. A feared opponent and a Stanley Cup champion, the rugged blue liner can enjoy retirement having had a strong career.

  • Oscar Klefbom is not retiring, but he is set to miss the entire 2020-21 season with a shoulder injury. Yet, the Edmonton Oilers defenseman still does not have a timeline for his return to action. The player and team decided that Klefbom needed to undergo major surgery to repair his chronic shoulder condition, which has caused him pain and has knocked him out of the lineup on multiple occasions over the past few years. However, that surgery has yet to even be scheduled. Klefbom, who is currently at his home in Sweden, is hoping to have the procedure done with a specialist in Cleveland, but complications due to Coronavirus and its impact on travel and medical scheduling has made setting a date for the surgery more difficult than expected. Klefbom is hoping to go under the knife and begin his recovery sooner rather than later, especially since the length of that recovery period is unknown, but for now will have to wait until the logistics become easier to manage.
  • Could Keith Yandle’s iron man streak be saved after all? In the long run, probably not. However, TSN’s Frank Seravalli does admit that there is a chance that the respected veteran could be in the Florida Panthers’ lineup when they make their season debut on Sunday. Yandle had previously been told that he was not in the team’s plans and would be a healthy scratch moving forward, as evidenced by his exclusion from the “starters” group in recent practices. However, Yandle was back working with the first-team power play on Saturday and then reportedly met with coaches and management after practice to “clear the air”, per Seravalli. It still seems as though Yandle’s future in Florida is in doubt and his full No-Movement Clause and substantial salary will make it difficult for him to be traded, so Yandle’s chances of extending his iron man streak to the NHL record of 965, especially with the Panthers, is extremely unlikely. However, he could further extend his current streak of 844 consecutive games – the fourth-most in NHL history and most for a defenseman – to 845 on Sunday.
  • Another established defenseman who is not in his team’s current plans (however briefly) is the New York Rangers’ Anthony DeAngelo. DeAngelo was a liability defensively in the Rangers’ disappointing debut on Thursday and as a result he will be a healthy scratch on Saturday night, reports the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. DeAngelo, 25, is young and talented and New York is not paying him $4.8MM to sit in the press box for the next two years, but perhaps this benching by head coach David Quinn will instill some more defensive accountability in the dynamic defender.

 

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