Rumor: Rangers looking to trade outspoken defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

DeAngelo expected to be moved.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 3 years ago
Rumor: Rangers looking to trade outspoken defenseman Tony DeAngelo.
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The New York Rangers are set to make a move that may come as a surprise to many.

According to Rangers insider Larry Brooks the Rangers are currently looking to trade 24 year old defenseman Tony DeAngelo, this in spite of the fact that DeAngelo is coming off of what was a pretty good season for the young man. Upon hearing this news many might be quick to assume that the Rangers will be looking to move DeAngelo due to his outspoken nature on social media but according to Brooks the motivation behind this potential trade of DeAngelo actually comes from another player in the Rangers system.

Defenseman Nils Lundkvist opted to sign a contract in the Swedish Hockey League for the 2020 - 2021 season, staying closer to home during the Coronavirus pandemic and that has now put the Rangers in a tight spot. Lundkvist was selected in the 1st round (28th overall) of the 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Rangers but with him still not under contract there is now a possibility that he could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022. The Rangers currently boast Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox on the right side of their defense and Brooks believes that signing DeAngelo to a long term deal would make signing with the Rangers next summer considerably less appealing to Lundkvist who also plays on the right side. 

There's a real threat of the highly talented Lundkvist going to free agency in 2020 here given that he opted not to sign his entry level contract with the Rangers, one that would have included a European assignment clause that would have allowed him to play overseas while under contract with the Rangers. In spite of the fact that the Rangers hold his rights the young Swede has some leverage here and the expectation is that the Rangers will make the necessary changes to get Lundkvist signed to that entry level deal. 

There are some clear benefits to the Rangers going down this route as well. The most obvious one is the fact that Lundkvist will count for considerably less money against the cap on an entry level deal than DeAngelo would. The Rangers have some big contracts on the books still and getting that extra wiggle room will prove invaluable, especially given that the NHL's salary cap has been heavily impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Also according to Brooks the Rangers are looking to find a center that will slot in on their second line and DeAngelo will be the piece, or at least one of the pieces, that they use to address that need. All signs point to DeAngelo being traded here given that it will help the Rangers solve the problem they have with Lundkvist while also patching up a potential weakness in their lineup.

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