The Philadelphia Flyers are moving on from veteran defenseman Tony DeAngelo after failing to trade him earlier this offseason. The Flyers bought out the final year of DeAngelo’s contract, making him a free agent.
DeAngelo was set to earn $5 million in the final year of his two-year deal with the Flyers. He now becomes the first player in NHL history to be bought out twice after New York Rangers bought him out in 2021.
The Flyers originally acquired DeAngelo in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes last summer. He contributed with 11 goals and 31 assists for a total of 42 points in 70 games he played in 2022-23. However, the 27-year-old player never got comfortable with the Flyers and had multiple run-ins with the coaching staff.
After the season ended, the Flyers made a trade with the Hurricanes to send DeAngelo back to Carolina while retaining 50% of his salary. However, due to NHL CBA rules about teams reacquiring players on lower cap hits, the league nixed the trade.
DeAngelo, who has 199 points in 340 games as a pro, could now sign with the Canes as a free agent. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if several other NHL teams in need of a veteran defenseman join the mix.
