© Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY SportsTony DeAngelo's struggles this season could be a sign that his time with the Rangers has come to an end.
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, $9.6M 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 played in only 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.
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