New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has acquired defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta.
DeAngelo, 21, split this past season between the Coyotes and the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL). He skated in 39 NHL games with Arizona in 2016-17, registering five goals and nine assists for 14 points, along with 37 penalty minutes. DeAngelo ranked second among NHL rookie defensemen in goals per game (0.13) and tied for fifth among NHL rookie defensemen (min. 10 games played) in points per game (0.36) this past season. He registered his first career NHL goal/point while making his NHL debut on Nov. 8, 2016 at Colorado, and he notched a point in six of his first eight career NHL contests.
The 5-11, 183-pounder skated in 25 AHL games with Tucson this past season, registering three goals and 13 assists for 16 points, along with 31 penalty minutes. DeAngelo notched at least one point in 12 of the 25 contests he played with the Roadrunners in 2016-17, and he posted a four-game assist/point streak from Oct. 22, 2016 at Bakersfield to Nov. 2, 2016 vs. Texas. DeAngelo has played 94 career AHL games over parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17), registering 59 points (nine goals, 50 assists), along with 115 penalty minutes. He ranked fourth among AHL defensemen in assists (37) and ranked seventh among AHL defensemen in points (43) while playing with the Syracuse Crunch in 2015-16.
Prior to beginning his professional career, DeAngelo played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Sarnia Sting and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (2011-12 – 2014-15). In 236 career OHL games, he registered 55 goals and 186 assists for 241 points, along with 311 penalty minutes. In his final season in the OHL in 2014-15, DeAngelo was named the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Defenseman of the Year, which is awarded to the top defenseman in all of the three Canadian Major Junior Leagues (Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League). DeAngelo established OHL career-highs in goals (25), assists (64), and points (89) in 2014-15, and he led all defensemen in the three Canadian Major Junior Leagues in each category. He also led OHL defensemen in assists in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and he led OHL defensemen in points in 2013-14.
The Sewell, New Jersey, native was selected by Tampa Bay in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
The Rangers now have six selections in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft: two in the first round (seventh overall and 21st overall), one in the fourth round (102nd overall), one in the fifth round (145th overall), one in the sixth round (157th overall), and one in the seventh round (207th overall).
Thank You Derek Stepan
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Stepan, 27, has skated in 515 career NHL games over seven seasons (2010-11 – 2016-17), all with the Rangers, registering 128 goals and 232 assists for 360 points, along with 130 penalty minutes.
Raanta, 28, has appeared in 94 career NHL games over parts of four seasons with the Rangers and Chicago (2013-14 – 2016-17), posting a 47-23-9 record, along with a 2.32 GAA, a .917 SV%, and eight shutouts.
