Hurricanes, Flyers working on a trade to return a player to Carolina

A busy day for trades has gotten even busier, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers are closing in on a deal that would send Anthony DeAngelo back to Carolina. DeAngelo most recently played for the Hurricanes back during the 2021-22 season before he found his way to Philadelphia.

Already carrying an imposing top four, the Hurricanes appear to be well on their way to making their defensive unit even better. Although he can be a bit of a liability on the defensive side of the puck, DeAngelo has been one of the better blue-line scorers over the past couple of seasons. He has already shown the ability to score 10+ goals a year, and his ability to move the puck is by far his best asset.

Much like the deal that will be sending Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues, it appears that the deal for DeAngelo may take some time as well. The Flyers should be expected to take back some salary in the trade, or another team may be involved. It was only one season ago that the Hurricanes decided that DeAngelo’s asking price was too rich for their blood, and shipped him off to Philadelphia. If the Flyers are willing to price down DeAngelo’s contract more to Carolina’s liking, this would seem like an ideal fit for both the team and the player.

Although the trade for DeAngelo ultimately makes Carolina a better team on paper, it does complicate their cap situation for next season. Already needing to sign Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Jalen Chatfield, DeAngelo always becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season, joining that list. If DeAngelo and Skjei are more inclined to sign team-friendly contracts to stay in Carolina, this deal may make the burden of trading Pesce this offseason much lighter for the Hurricanes.

As far as the Flyers’ return goes, not much is known at this point. Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports that a trade is indeed in the works between the two teams, but the Flyers will not be receiving much in return. Last offseason, Philadelphia acquired DeAngelo from Carolina for a package including a second-round pick in 2024, a conditional third-round pick in 2023 (which would become the Flyers’ third-round pick), and a fourth-round pick in 2022. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that the Flyers would likely only get a prospect from Carolina, although that prospect is currently unknown up to this point.

In any case, it is another example of two teams headed in two separate directions. After the news from today, with both Hayes and DeAngelo, the Flyers are committed to clearing house, and the Hurricanes are looking to bulk up for a postseason run in 2024.