NHL free agency is officially underway, but before the market opened up, the New York Islanders managed to take care of a sneaky important piece of business. Just a couple hours before free agency opened, the Islanders managed to keep one of their own players in town, as they re-signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a new deal.

DeAngelo found a home with New York midway through last season, signing a one-year deal with them in January. He ended up playing in 35 games for the Isles, racking up four goals and 15 assists. With the right-handed defender market being pretty desolate in free agency, New York wanted to find a way to keep DeAngelo around, which they managed to do by signing him to a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

“Sources say Tony DeAngelo is closing in on a deal to stay on Long Island,” Frank Seravalli reported in a post on X. “Cross another name off the list – a thin right-shot defense market gets thinner. 1 year x $1.75m.”

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Islanders shore up defensive depth with Tony DeAngelo re-signing

New York Islanders defenseman Tony DeAngelo (4) reacts during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes at UBS Arena.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images

For a point in time, DeAngelo was one of the more productive defenders in the NHL, as he racked up a pair of 50-point seasons with the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes before experiencing a sudden dip in performance. DeAngelo showcased his talent on several occasions last season, and the Islanders seem to believe he's set to be a key piece of their blue line next year.

With this deal, New York has shored up their defensive depth, which was a big need after it traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens. Beyond that, there's also a chance that DeAngelo could round back into the form he displayed earlier in his career. If he doesn't, there's not exactly a ton of risk involved with this deal, making this a solid low-risk, high-reward move from the Islanders as they prepare to get to work on the open market now.

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