The Carolina Hurricanes are bringing back a familiar face. After reaching a buyout agreement with the Philadelphia Flyers, defenceman Tony DeAngelo is set to sign a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Canes, as reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

DeAngelo, who was a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2014, played for Carolina in the 2021-22 season before they traded him to Philly last July for draft compensation. The Flyers were actually looking to trade him back to the Hurricanes, but that fell through and DeAngelo then became the first player in NHL history to be bought out twice. Not a great look.

His relationship with head coach John Tortorella and the Flyers faithful deteriorated towards the end of last season, leading to the two sides parting ways. But despite some off-ice issues as well, DeAngelo remains a rather productive player.

He registered 11 goals and 31 assists in 2022-23 and with the Hurricanes the season prior, scored 10 and supplied 41 assists. The Carolina blue line is about to look a lot different since he was last in town though, with Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov as new additions. It's unknown how much playing time he could get, but it's not a bad signing by any means.

Plus, the Canes remain in the mix for Norris Trophy winner defenceman Erik Karlsson, who is on the trade block as the San Jose Sharks look to find the best possible deal for their star. If Carolina does manage to sign the Swede, you'd have to imagine it would hurt DeAngelo's chances of being a key cog for the Eastern Conference powerhouse.