The Flyers were reportedly working on trading Tony DeAngelo over the weekend, but the deal has been slowed by the CBA.
The Flyers were reportedly working on trading Tony DeAngelo over the weekend, but the deal has been slowed by the CBA.
It was a very busy Saturday for the Philadelphia Flyers.
After spending much of the day grinding away on a potential blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues, the Flyers were also in the process of making another significant deal.
Late Saturday night, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Flyers were working on a trade that would send defenseman Tony DeAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes after not even one full year in Philadelphia.
Well, it's now Monday, and that trade still hasn't been finalized.
So, what's the holdup?
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the NHL's collective bargaining agreement includes a clause stating that once a team trades away a player, that team cannot reacquire said player less than one year later due to potential cap circumvention purposes, especially if there is salary retention involved.
The Flyers are reportedly willing to take on 50% of DeAngelo's salary next season.
The Flyers acquired DeAngelo from the Hurricanes last summer, on July 8, in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, and a 2024 second-round pick. The Flyers then subsequently signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Because it hasn't been a full year since the Flyers acquired DeAngelo from Carolina, it's possible the trade may not be finalized until July 9, despite the fact that DeAngelo signed his current contract after being traded by the Hurricanes.
LeBrun reports the Flyers and Hurricanes will speak to the NHL about this trade around the draft, but it's no guarantee the league will sign off on it until after July 9.
In other words, unless the league allows the clubs to proceed with the trade, don't expect the deal to be finalized until July 9.
DeAngelo's one season in Philadelphia was turbulent, to say the least. While he performed well by the numbers — 11 goals and 42 points in 70 games — it became obvious at the end of the season that he and head coach John Tortorella did not see eye to eye.
DeAngelo was benched for the final five games of the season, and he was unafraid to voice his displeasure with Tortorella's decision during his end-of-season press conference.
"He's the coach of the team, so you've gotta respect that, and I respect what he does. Do I agree with it? What happened in the last five games? Absolutely not. I think it's ridiculous that I didn't play the last five. That's one thing. But he's also the coach of the team. It's not my job to decide that."
For now, DeAngelo remains a Flyer. But the club clearly seems determined to send him elsewhere at some point this offseason.