Tony DeAngelo’s first morning on Long Island consisted of a quick skate, a short introduction to his new teammates and getting ready to play in his first game in the new digs.
Probably not the easiest way to go into a new team for DeAngelo, who was officially eligible to play for the Islanders against Carolina after clearing waivers at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
But them’s the breaks.
“Seems like a nice guy,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said before the game. “He was a pain in the ass to play against. But it’s good to have on our side. He’s got some grit to him and he definitely has a skill level, also, with the puck. I think he’s a great addition to our team.
“From what I heard from other teams, he was well-liked in the room. That’s all I can say for now. I don’t know him yet enough.”
Given DeAngelo’s reputation, it’s noteworthy that Pageau and Brock Nelson both mentioned hearing from others who have played with him — and it’s a safe guess that Alexandar Georgiev was not among this crew — that the defenseman was a great teammate.
Though most Islanders have faced DeAngelo — who previously played for the Rangers, Hurricanes and Flyers — he is coming in without many relationships in the dressing room.
Outside of playing with Hudson Fasching at World Juniors in 2015, DeAngelo hasn’t crossed paths with anyone on the team during his career.
“Obviously a right-handed D-man that sees the ice, offensive, is somebody who can kinda fill that gap with [Noah Dobson] out,” Nelson said Friday night after the Islanders beat the Flyers. “I played against him, he played hard, he’s a competitor. I think he fights. Compete-wise, I think he’s got a great compete level. Goes out there, I think he wants to win.
“I think he’s the ultimate competitor. I’ve heard from a couple guys that know him [who] said that we’re gonna love him. He’s gonna be great for us.”
DeAngelo, who did not speak to reporters before Saturday’s game, started this season in Russia, recording 32 points in 34 games with SKA Saint Petersburg.
His return to the NHL was unexpected, even for him, but after his contract was mutually terminated in Russia, with family issues being the stated reason, it made sense for the Islanders to sign him to a league-minimum deal as a fill-in for Dobson, whose right leg injury appears to be a longer-term issue.
At a minimum, DeAngelo instantly looks like the best offensive defenseman in a lineup suddenly missing Dobson, and figures to quarterback the first power play unit.
“I penalty-killed against him,” Pageau said. “He walks the line very well with the puck. And he’s got good deception when he takes a shot or he makes a pass, which is always hard for a PK to do when he skates with the puck. I think that’s what he can bring. I think his hockey IQ’s very good also, from playing against him. So that’s something I think can help us for sure.”
Heading into Saturday’s match, the Islanders had won six of their last eight to reach NHL .500.
While that marked a good start to what they hope will be a third straight season with a successful late push to the playoffs, the Islanders were still six points back of a spot, with seven teams to jump.
It is an oft-cited cliché that players who join a team midseason — from injury or in a situation like this — are jumping on a moving train.
If that is the case, then the Islanders’ train cannot afford a slowdown for anyone or anything. DeAngelo will need to catch up fast.
“This is probably an easy group to come into,” Pageau said. “I thought when I first came in, the group makes it very easy. Makes you comfortable. System-wise, I think your instinct takes over a little bit at the start and then the structure and everything becomes more natural and natural.”
Still, he joked, “When I first came in, we lost seven games in a row. Let’s not go down that road.”
