I'm not sure we've ever seen a storm on social media more volatile than the one we got the day the Hurricanes signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo in 2021. I mention it every time I write about the polarizing defender because it's truly something I'll never forget. It was a move that divided many in the fan base, though the product on the ice was good.
The oft-embattled DeAngelo was coming off a season that saw him waived and sent home after a postgame altercation with then-teammate Alexandar Georgiev. The Hurricanes took a chance on him, signing DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million contract that offseason. Many felt it wasn't a proper replacement for the departing Dougie Hamilton, but it was the replacement they got.
DeAngelo put together the best offensive season for a defenseman in team history. His 41 assists and 51 points were the most by a Hurricanes defenseman until Brent Burns topped both the following season. He added 10 points during the postseason, becoming the fourth Hurricanes defenseman with double-digit points in a single playoffs.
Despite this offensive resurgence, the Hurricanes traded DeAngelo's signing rights and a 7th-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers on Day 2 of the 2022 Draft. The pending restricted free agent signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Flyers the same day. In return, the Hurricanes received three picks, a 4th-round pick to be used the same day and picks in 2023 and 2024.
The Hurricanes put those picks to good use
Carolina got right to work using the pick they received for 2022. With the 101st pick, the Hurricanes selected Swedish defenseman Simon Forsmark. He's yet to make the move to North America, playing the last several years in the SHL. Forsmark has excellent tools to be a two-way defenseman, but time is running short for the Canes to sign him, as his signing rights expire on June 1, 2026.
The Hurricanes did what they do best with their 2023 pick, turning it into two picks. The Canes traded the 71st pick to San Jose, dropping to the end of the 3rd round (#94) by re-acquiring the pick they sent to the Sharks for Burns and adding a pick in the 4th (#100). With the picks, the Hurricanes selected wingers Jayden Perron and Alexander Rykov, respectively.
With the 2nd-round pick in 2024, the Canes never used it, trading it to land a big fish at the trade deadline. This pick, which landed 44th overall, was used in the package to help the Hurricanes land Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. I don't want to go into too much detail about the specifics of this deal because I might cover it at some point in August.
It's hard to look at these returns and not be impressed by what the Hurricanes did with them. In total, they acquired three prospects with decent NHL potential and added an impactful player to support a playoff run that ended far too quickly. It's especially solid knowing what happened the season after.
DeAngelo found his way back to Raleigh one year later
Like his time in New York, Tony DeAngelo's relationship with the Flyers soured toward the end. His production took a slight dip, scoring 42 points in 70 games, but it was his benching at the end of the season that stood out, with DeAngelo calling the decision "ridiculous".
There were rumblings that Carolina was trying to re-acquire DeAngelo once the 2023 offseason began, with a trade in place that would've seen the Flyers retain half of his $5 million cap hit. That deal was stopped by the league for CBA concerns. Instead, the Flyers bought out the last year of his contract, freeing DeAngelo to sign another one-year contract with the Canes for $1.675 million.
The reunion wasn't as sweet. The Canes had a strong right trio, leaving DeAngelo on the outside. He was limited to 11 points in 31 games during the regular season, though he played nine times in the playoffs once Brett Pesce was injured. DeAngelo took his talents to Russia after the season. He was briefly teammates with Alexander Nikishin before leaving and signing with the Islanders mid-season.
For all of the controversy and scrutiny surrounding DeAngelo, his tenure as a Hurricane wasn't that bad. He had some very good moments with the team. Plus, we'll always remember the time Sebastian Aho walked him to complete a hat trick during his time in Philly. The Canes turned his initial trade into a masterclass, and they still got him back for a lower price a year later.