Tony DeAngelo denied pardon.
The sun rose in the east this morning. In related news, DeAngelo is shown. Unclear what comes next in this saga.
– Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) 1 February 2021
Rangers are still determining the next steps for DeAngelo now that he has cleared waivers and is now working on it with his agent Pat Brisson https://t.co/PXLQB0DcGo
– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) 1 February 2021
It is unknown what will happen next for DeAngelo, but the Rangers now have a few options as he has removed waivers.
There’s the AHL, though I think it’s unlikely that the team will assign him to the Hartford Wolf Pack, and it’s also unlikely that DeAngelo would accept the assignment initially. The AHL season will kick off on Friday, February 5, and this year the Wolf Pack will play games against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the Providence Bruins because there were teams that opted for the season due to COVID-19.
There is also the potential of a trade, with the Rangers’ salary or taking back a contract as Larry Brooks pointed out.
The likelihood of DeAngelo being deemed small but trading could be possible if NYR is willing to take back money, either by retaining 50% of the $ 4.8 million or by taking back a contract …
– Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) 1 February 2021
It’s true that every team in the league had a chance to claim DeAngelo, but the financial environment of a fixed cap has led teams to reduce their salaries, or simply not have the salary cap. Finally, the Rangers can send DeAngelo home and keep him on the ice at the moment while they try to find out if a deal is not realized immediately.
With DeAngelo now in a pinch, Anthony Bitetto will take his place in the series as Jack Johnson is expected to stay away due to a groin injury. Bitetto grew up as a Ranger fan and joined the team as a free agent during the off-season. He has appeared in 183 games in his NHL career, including 51 with the Winnipeg Jets last season.