2/4 | 8:19PM: Eric Francis of Sportsnet says that Calgary isn’t interested in DeAngelo or a DeAngelo for Bennett trade.
7:30PM: Larry Brooks writes in the NY Post that the Flames are a team that has expressed “at least preliminary interest” in Tony DeAngelo and that Sam Bennett, who has requested a trade from the Flames, is believed to have been discussed.
Brooks adds that “several” teams have called about DeAngelo and that the Rangers have no interest in adding an “onerous” contract, that some teams have offered, just to move DeAngelo. (NY Post)
Bennett, 24, has a cap hit of $2.55 million and he is an RFA after the season.
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Adam Rotter: Bennett is an interesting name, but the Rangers are not the only team that would have interest in the fourth overall pick from 2014. He hasn’t been an overly productive offensive player in his career, but he has always been an impact player for Calgary in the playoffs. He plays a north/south game and would bring a level of grit, toughness and physicality that would suit the Rangers, but there have been some questions about his offensive upside. He’d be someone that would fit with where the Rangers are and going, but again, Calgary will have no shortage of suitors if they do decide to move him.
2/3 | 9:50PM: Bob McKenzie, on NBCSN, said “they are talking to teams and at least 4-5 teams kicking tires and doing their due diligence to see if this is a reclamation project they are prepared to take on. We’ve heard Calgary, Detroit, maybe the teams in Southern California, LA/Anaheim doing their due diligence. Not suggesting for a moment that a trade is imminent, but there is no question that the Rangers are talking to other teams about it.”
“Now here’s the rub, the Rangers ‘Plan B,’ if they don’t trade him, would be to buy him out at the end of the year. So, in other words, the Rangers are not prepared to retain a huge amount of salary, the Rangers are not prepared to take on a huge contract coming back the other way because they can buy him out in the summer, bite the bullet for the rest of this season, if they have to, on his $4.8 million cap hit and then on a buyout you’d only have a $300,000-odd penalty next year and $800,000-odd penalty the year after that. That is ‘Plan B,’ ‘Plan A’ is to still try and trade him and bring in another player that might be useful and see where they go from there.”
2/2 | 6:14PM: According to Darren Dreger on TSN, there is “a ton of interest, all the sudden,” in Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo and a trade could happen “within the next few days.”
DeAngelo was assigned to the Rangers taxi squad on Monday, but will remain away from the team until he is traded.
Elliotte Friedman wrote on Tuesday that the Rangers have made it known that they will retain salary in a DeAngelo trade. (Sportsnet)
Rangers GM Jeff Gorton is working with DeAngelo’s agent, Pat Brisson of CAA, to work on finding a trade partner. (Dreger, Shannon)
DeAngelo has a cap hit of $4.8 season and is signed through next season.
The Rangers are able to retain up to 50% of his cap hit in a trade, so they will likely have up to $2.4 million in dead cap space.
If the Rangers retain any amount of DeAngelo’s salary in a trade and then he is bought out after the season, the Rangers would have up to $191,666 in dead cap space for 2021-22 and up to $441,666 in dead cap space for 2022-23. (Cap Friendly)
Adam Rotter: Someone will trade for DeAngelo, but who, for what and when is all TBD. The most likely scenario sees the Rangers retaining salary and acquiring a player in return that makes up the difference and turns it into a dollar in/dollar out kind of trade. My guess is that the Rangers would prefer to add a defenseman, to replace the one they would be trading, and preferably one that is on a short-term deal or a rental. Maybe they are able to acquire a mid-round pick if they take on a player that sees the Rangers taking on a little more salary, but it’s all just a guessing game until it happens. This isn’t going to be a deal that nets the Rangers a huge return or something major, DeAngelo doesn’t have a ton of value and if they couldn’t move him for something “big” or so in the offseason, they have almost zero chance of that now.