Russia Or Bust?

When options in North America start drying up, it's no surprise that guys begin to look at the KHL as an option. After all, it's the largest non-North American hockey league on the planet, they reportedly pay better than the AHL, and there are just enough stars in the league for it to be entertaining on most nights. Of course, it's also the league for players who have run out of chances in North America as we've seen players accused of crimes or morally-repugnant behaviour find homes in the KHL such as Dillon Dubé, Michael McLeod, and Brendan Leipsic. And it seems another player who has burned through a pile of chances is joining the KHL today as SKA St. Petersburg announced they signed Tony DeAngelo to a contract.

DeAngelo has had a few good seasons while being shuffled between the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers, so there may be questions how a defender like him can't get signed. Of course, he was waived by the New York Rangers on February 1, 2021 following an altercation with teammate and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, and he has questioned the league's COVID-19 policies in the past. In short, he's a headache for managers who can't get the most out of his talent, so, as long as he scores, there are GMs willing to take on the headache.

11 points in 31 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season had a lot of people questioning whether DeAngelo was good enough to crack the Hurricanes' roster by season's end, but he skated well for the Hurricanes despite it being clear that his two points in nine playoff games wasn't enough for the Hurricanes to advance. That's not to say that he couldn't go to another team and help them, but the 28 year-old's defensive play was brought into question while playing for Philadelphia the season before despite him posting 42 points in 70 games. Head coaches aren't in the business of sacrificing defence for offence in the NHL, but that seems to be DeAngelo's modus operandi when it comes to holding onto a roster spot.

When it comes to aging, fringe defenders, there aren't a lot of GMs who want to spend a load of cash on bringing guys in who may push younger defencemen with higher potential down the depth charts. For DeAngelo, that means he needs to be a clear fifth or sixth defenceman on a team, but how many teams are searching for those guys during training camps, specifically from within their own organizations in order to keep salary cap flexibility?

"I waited through most of the summer," DeAngelo said in a one-on-one interview with RG.org. "It took a bit long. It was back and forth. With a bunch of different things, the negotiation process wasn't where we wanted to go. I had a great opportunity to come here and play in a great League with great players. It was the best situation for myself at this time."

It sounds like NHL teams were willing to offer PTOs for DeAngelo to come in and earn a spot, but that opportunity isn't what DeAngelo was seeking. By taking the contract with SKA St. Petersburg, he'll be a regular in the SKA lineup as well as being paid respectably alongside the likes of former Carolina Hurricanes teammates Evgeni Kuznetsov, Valentin Zykov, and Sergei Tolchinsky.

"I spoke to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Sergei Tolchinsky, I played with both of them," DeAngelo said. "Big reason for me coming here was what I heard from them. I spoke to many players that I know. I'm familiar with the League, with some coaches and cities. Kuzy gave me a lot of info. He's very familiar with everything. He made it a lot easier for me to make a decision to come overseas."

In knowing that the KHL is of a similar talent level to that of the AHL, perhaps we'll see Tony DeAngelo thrive in St. Petersburg. He has recorded 11 goals and 61 assists in 123 AHL games, so it seems that he's suited for that level of play nicely. If he can showcase his skills a little, there might be a chance for him to get back into the game on the North American side of the coin, but he's still going to have to show NHL GMs that his behaviour isn't going to compete with his talent for headlines.

In the end, maybe Russia is the best place for DeAngelo to get his game back on track. There's no guarantee that any North American team will take a flyer on the 28 year-old at the end of this one-year contract, but I'd imagine that St. Petersburg would bring him back if he performs well. Age and skill will always play factors into whether teams throw money at a player so this may be DeAngelo's last chance to find his way back to the NHL circuit.

If he doesn't get offers he likes once this year is over, he'll need to contact his post office to update his forwarding address to St. Petersburg. It may be where he plays out the rest of his career.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!