The New York Rangers put defenseman Tony DeAngelo on waivers Sunday afternoon, quickly pulling the plug after a wretched start to the 2021 season.
According to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, there was an altercation between DeAngelo and Rangers backup goaltender, Alexandar Georgiev that accelerated the Rangers to remove the defenseman. Rangers head coach David Quinn declined to comment on the matter.
Teams will have one day to claim the 25-year-old, if not, he will be sent to the team’s minor-league affiliate in Hartford unless the organization has a different plan in place for him.
The 25-year-old lasted just six games this season, quickly proving to be a defensive liability — which is obviously priority No. 1 when it comes to a blueliner.
DeAngelo was one of the premier offensive defensemen in all of hockey last season, posting 15 goals and 38 assists (53 points) in 68 games.
He only had one assist in those six games to go with a minus-6 rating, an alarmingly bad start and investment for a Rangers team that awarded him with a two-year, $9.6 million deal back in October.
An added element to the DeAngelo issue was his off-ice presence on social media. The New Jersey native was a controversial figure on Twitter and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Questionable takes on the COVID-19 pandemic during the Presidential election saw his account suspended before he deactivated it earlier in January.
Getting rid of DeAngelo could allow the Rangers to trade for St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn or it could open additional space for the likes of Libor Hajek to get consistent playing time with the big club.
