Tony DeAngelo had been playing less with the Carolina Hurricanes lately because there are many good defensemen on the team. But now, with veteran Brett Pesce injured, DeAngelo might have to play a bigger role in the NHL playoffs.
During practice on Wednesday, DeAngelo practiced with Brady Skjei as a defense pair. The Hurricanes are getting ready for Game 3 against the New York Islanders, and their coach, Rod Brind’Amour, said Pesce probably won’t play for the rest of the first-round series because of a lower-body injury he got during Game 2.
DeAngelo hasn’t played in the first two playoff games, but the Hurricanes won both games and lead the series 2-0.
“It’s always tough, but it is what it is,” DeAngelo said about not playing much. “Now we’ve got a chance that I can come in and help out and hopefully make a difference.”
This time, DeAngelo’s role is different from before. When he first joined the team for the 2021-22 season, he played a big role during the playoffs.
He was in the top defense pair with Jaccob Slavin. This was because Dougie Hamilton, who used to be in that role, left the team.
After the season, Carolina traded him to Philadelphia. Then, they signed him again last summer after the Flyers let him go.
This time, though, he’s been playing only occasionally because the Hurricanes have a strong top-six defense. Normally, Slavin plays with Burns, Pesce with Skjei, and Orlov with Chatfield.
“He makes the pairing good just with his skating and the way he defends,” DeAngelo said of Skjei, adding it was similar to playing with Slavin.
Skjei, meanwhile, sees some clear upside in the match, too. “Get him the puck in the (offensive) zone,” Skjei said. “That’s his biggest strength. We all know how gifted offensively he is.”
