DeAngelo has final year of contract bought out by Flyers

Tony DeAngelo had the final year of his contract bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

The 27-year-old defenseman, who was placed on waivers Friday, had one season remaining on a two-year, $10 million contract ($5 million average annual value) he signed with the Flyers on July 11, 2022.

DeAngelo, who is now an unrestricted free agent, had 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 70 games last season, his first with Philadelphia, after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 8, 2022.

He was a healthy scratch the final five games of the season, with coach John Tortorella opting to give ice time to younger players.

"Do I agree with what happened the last five games? Absolutely not," DeAngelo said April 14. "I think it's ridiculous that I didn't play the last five. But he's also the coach. It's not my job to decide that. All I can worry about is being a good teammate, which I think I did."

DeAngelo, who grew up a Flyers fan in the Philadelphia suburb of Sewell, New Jersey, also said that day, "I love being a Flyer. My whole life I've wanted to be a Flyer, so now that I am, I don't take it for granted at all."

Selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round (No. 19) of the 2014 NHL Draft, DeAngelo has 199 points (45 goals, 154 assists) in 340 regular-season games for the Flyers, Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes, and 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The Flyers (31-38-13) finished 14th in the Eastern Conference last season and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.