Islanders Sign Tony DeAngelo To Two-Year Extension

DeAngelo followed up that solid debut half-season on Long Island with a strong 2025-26 campaign.

While it looked as though the departure of Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens would clear a spot for DeAngelo to become the Islanders’ No. 1 power play quarterback, that role was quickly seized by star rookie Matthew Schaefer.

But despite losing that significant lineup role to the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, DeAngelo was still productive, posting 35 points in 76 games.

While he has his fair share of holes in his game – namely his defensive ability – DeAngelo’s Islanders tenure has been a real step forward for the player, and he has accordingly been rewarded with a decently-priced two-year extension.

DeAngelo’s defensive game has been routinely criticized throughout his NHL career, but he’s nonetheless found a way to stick in NHL lineups under a variety of different coaches. He averaged 19:08 time on ice per game last season, ranking No. 4 among Islanders blueliners with at least 20 games played. That’s right in line with his career average of 19:21 time on ice per game.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic noted that the Islanders “continue to have dialogue” with captain Anders Lee, who will become a UFA on July 1st unless he is extended. The Islanders’ decision to commit $4.5MM in cap space to DeAngelo certainly gives them less room to retain Lee, but they should still have enough cap space available to re-sign him depending on what his expectations for a new contract are.

In any case, New York has locked up their second-unit power play quarterback and a key puck-moving defenseman for two more seasons. The deal will position DeAngelo to hit unrestricted free agency in advance of his age-33 season, meaning he could still be young enough to receive a decent payday in two years’ time, though likely not a long-term one.