Speaking of difficult, it was a difficult year for those of us who enjoyed Tony D'Angelo here with the Hurricanes two years ago. We lost him for a year, but we have him back. And now Tony D'Angelo is with us on the Adam Gold Show. That sounded a little bit too romantic.
I know even for your liking, Tony. So welcome back, first of all. It's good to talk to you. How's your summer going? Summer's been good.
Obviously busy. There's always something going on with my career every summer, it seems like. But it's good to be back, settled, know where I'm going to go now after a little bit of a long wait here. So looking forward to getting back to Raleigh in August. I remember this is four weeks ago, I think, where I thought it was like, oh, cool, welcome back.
I sent you a text. And you were like, I have no idea what's going on. So what was this span like for you? I mean, ultimately, you could have gone anywhere.
So talk to me about what you did for the last month and why ultimately you waited to come back here. Yeah, we had, you know, like I just said, I was talking to the media a little bit before I had a really good relationship with Danny Brier and Keith Jones here, and we kind of kind of talked all the way through it. So I knew I was going to be gone at some point, most likely. But just didn't know when or where we were just talking through things and they were keeping me in the loop, which was nice. But as far as the Carolina trade, you know, the.
I found out about that on Twitter, the one night I was sitting there, whatever the hell night, you know, June 24, 25, whatever it was. And so I really didn't know what was going on and I hadn't talked to anybody and we knew it wasn't done, even though the reporters and things were done. But I guess as things went on, you know, I wasn't part of the day to day discussions like they were, but things just weren't weren't wrapping up.
We had to wait a little bit time. CBA, all kinds of stuff is going on. So obviously they want to go in a different direction. They're kind of might make more sense for them.
Cap wise for this year or whatever. And then I kind of had a week or so here, 10 days to decide what I wanted to do. And everybody knew, I think, around the league as well, that rally was my number one choice. If I could, if I, you know, it was potentially I can go back there and we started talking to the canes and kind of everything else we had going. You know, we talked to teams and we was interested elsewhere for even for myself, if it made sense. But as long as the canes made sense, that's where I was going to head back. So I'm glad it worked out.
All right. So not to pump the tires of the hurricanes as a group, head coach Rod Brind'Amour, the area, the way they embraced you two years ago. But what is it about, you know, your year with Carolina that kind of stuck with you? I mean, I know you didn't want to go. I know the team didn't want to. It was just all business. You understand the business of professional sports. So what was it about this franchise that really drew you back?
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head there, the coaching staff to the to the staff of the trainers and the equipment guys and the players and the city itself where you get to live. It was all way better than I could have hoped for when I was coming in. You know, I had been there as a visitor and I liked it, but it wasn't, you know, I wasn't familiar with all the ins and outs of the city and and the team and stuff. And Brady Shay got there and started to talk real, you know, real good about it. The year we weren't together, a year and a half that I was still in New York.
And then as I got there, you just, you know, you see it all first. And there's nothing that there's not many cities like in the fan base is great. I mean, our playoff games, I still still have good thoughts about them, even though the final one was was a brutal one. But just the way the crowd was and you could hear it in the locker room.
A lot of a lot of fun. And it's a great team, a great group of guys, great team, you know, winning organization right now. So to come back, I never wanted to leave last year. I think they know that they don't want me to leave. But, you know, when things weren't working and Philadelphia was there, which is my, you know, my my dream team growing up with kind of, you know, kind of is what it is at that point. We took it and went that direction, but never wanted to leave. And I always said, if I have a chance to go back, we didn't end on bad terms. There's no reason that things couldn't change in a year or two. So I'm glad it worked out this way.
Tony D'Angelo is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. Now, I mean, this is my job is to look at the roster and I see a lot of defenseman. I know you are a smart person. I was talking to somebody yesterday and I mean, I'm not I'm not trying to pump your tires here, but I think you're one of the smartest hockey players I have ever spoken with. But, you know, the numbers game. So when when you look at, I mean, there are seven NHL defenseman and Dylan Coughlin, too.
So there are eight NHL defenseman on this roster. What are your thoughts going into the start of the season? I know it's a long way until October 11. But what are your thoughts? Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, as as a player in a free agent, you got to take a look. You got to take a look at the rosters and and we did that. But I've I'm sure, you know, I'm confident in my in my game and the way I could sit on on certain teams and I take a deep dive into all of it. But being back in the system that I that I thrived in, in my opinion, and being back with players that, you know, complement my game and I complement their game. I think it's it's a no brainer for me, but it's never it's never a bad thing to have that many good players, too.
So, you know, I don't look at it in the sense as obviously it's going to be competition. Guys want ice time. Guys want to play. Guys want power play penalty kill. That's that's all great.
It actually can help the team. But whoever earns is going to get it. In my opinion, I was, you know, the way I looked at it, I said, I'm confident enough that I could that I could go earn it. And, you know, and hopefully I get it and we'll go from there.
But it's also when you look at it, you know, from an outsider's perspective, it's a great thing. He got eight NHL defensemen. And for a team, you know, there's only one goal. Obviously, I think everybody will start saying the same thing as camp comes around. Keep getting closer and closer. You go second round, you go third round.
Now there's there's two more steps to go. So I think that's you need that you need guys, you know, anybody gets hurt, you need another guy to step in and do the job. So it'll be it'll be interesting competition. I'm sure we'll see what happens before that, obviously. But I'm looking forward to the defense. You know, if you look at the names right now, it's a pretty good defense.
Yeah, pretty good. That is one of the understatements. I mean, seriously, there are you played in the top pair here with Jacob Slavin. The numbers speak for themselves with 51 points in 64 games. So we all know what you can produce offensively and the power play and all of that. But with Orloff and Pesci and again, you know the business, too.
So there's some uncertainty there. Nobody wants. And I know you you came on the show right after you signed with Philadelphia and you threatened to recruit Brett Pesci away. So I know how much you liked playing with Brett. Now I want to recruit him to sign an extension.
That'll be that'll be the new way. All right. Let me ask you this. Give me a scouting report of Brett Pesci's game. Yeah, in my opinion, you know, from the outside, look at it when I first watched, you know, he playing three, four times a year, but real, you know, real solid two way guy. But then when I get to play with him, it's a whole it's a whole different ball game. He's one of them, in my opinion, one of the best two way defense in the league for, you know, obviously everybody. He never I don't think he was with Slava much, at least when I was playing against him.
So Slava and Hamilton and, you know, question Brady when Brady got there. But just watch him on that. But he defends anybody. He could defend anybody. He's got a great stick. He's a great penalty killer. You know, he's always in position, never gets beat one on one. And with the puck and his stick, he's, you know, first pass is off the charts. He gets out of his own clean. He's got patience with the puck. He makes he finds guys in the middle.
He finds his at the wall. It's, you know, it doesn't usually throw the puck around too much. It's always on the guy's tape.
It's a super, super smart guy. And when you watch it from the bench, you know, we didn't play together, obviously, right ready. But getting to watch it from the bench for an entire season and the games that I was hurt even even watching a more closer from up top.
It's just rarely do you see a mistake. It's just so clean. He plays such a clean game. And when you have a guy like that on your defense that could play against anybody at any time. And you have a slave in that could play against anybody anytime on two separate pairs. It kind of it kind of just gives the team so much flexibility. And then you have, you know, they had Burnsy last year. I was watching all the games in the playoffs with Slava and Brady and pressure.
Everybody knows, you know, about that pair, how great they've been together. It just gives the team such a different advantage that some teams don't have. Some teams have to have their top two defenseman out there against the first line. It's the way it is, you know, if they think they're going to, you know, make the most difference where as in Carolina, they they could send passion Brady out Burns and Slava.
Now, hopefully, you know, whatever the case may be. I'm not going to go into pairs, but anybody out against any time and having that with Pesci there. It's something that you would hate to see not work out.
So I'm hopeful that he's going to be backing under contracts. I expect to be back, but I was just at his wedding this weekend. We didn't get to talk about too much because I wasn't sure it was going on with me yet. It was his wedding, so we didn't need to talk hockey, but I'm sure we'll be talking soon.
I didn't realize you were at the wedding. I congratulate Brett. I don't know if you don't spend a ton of time on Twitter anymore, but I guess it was his brother. Bradley put out a video. I don't even want to go into the video about telling tales from when Brett was four years old at hockey camps. I don't think we need to go into it.
But for those people who are interested, it's out there. If you want to watch Brett Pesci be embarrassed. Tony DeAngelo, one other thing and then then from another sport real quick.
I you gave me a critique on Brett Pesci. Now somebody that I know you had to play against at times. Tell me about what you look at when you see Sebastian Ajo as a player. And he's probably a future captain of this team. And he's this close to probably an eight-year contract extension here as well.
So it's going to be in begin and end for number 20 here with the Hurricanes. What do you see about Ajo? Yeah. Well, I'm tired of playing against him because two of the last two teams I played for and I played against him. He's pulled the same stupid move on me and scored a toe drag goal.
Makes me look like an idiot. So it's nice to be nice to get back with him again. But just in all around. I mean, there's there's only a few superstars in the league, you know, but I think he's right in that class. And I said it since last year I play with him. He plays both ends of the ice, you know, he plays down the middle. There's so many things he does. He makes plays.
He could score. He kind of just drives the game when he's on the ice. And he says he's a tough little guy to play against. He's always got a stick on guy.
He's getting in the mix. He plays hard. You know, it's just he plays a complete game and you really don't find that in too many too many guys. There's only a certain amount of guys who can play a complete game like that and be and be top end at all this. So he's a he's the kind of guy that stays at one franchise his whole career as he should.
And I'm hopeful that they, you know, they get something done what I'm sure they will. He's a kind of the face of the hurricanes now, I guess you could say, as a player the last three, four years has turned into it. And just just a super player, a good teammate. You know, a good guy.
And it's the kind of guy you want to have your team built around. All right. Final thing. Your Phillies, who had a super run to the World Series a year ago, six games over 500, but a half game out of the wild card race. What do they need to get back in? A tough loss of the Orioles last night who have become one of the best teams in baseball. The Orioles are good. The Phillies need a they need a bat. They need a I guess it's pretty obvious. I feel like I'm repeating the presence of the baseball operations.
They need a they got to move forward at the age. They need a need an outfield bat. Guess it doesn't matter. It could be centerfield, could be corner outfield.
Really doesn't matter. Just need a bat. Right.
He left. He needs somebody to hit. You know, I thought the team was gonna have tons of power.
You look at the roster on paper when they're going in. He thought they're gonna have tons of power and they really haven't had any power at all. I know Harper came back from injury. So his power is a little bit down, but not much power to pitching has been great. Starting pitch has been great. The bullpen is really good.
The closing has been great. Like last night you lose another 3-2 game against the pitcher, in my opinion, they should probably hit. I was texting Sonny back and forth. He's the Orioles guy.
Yeah. And you know, they the Orioles are great. You turn into a great team with guys that nobody's ever heard of because they're all prospects. And then you look at the Phillies team. It's got guys everybody's heard of high priced guys.
So they could use another bat to balance out that lineup, preferably somebody with some power. But I actually haven't been to a game yet, believe it or not, this summer. But I've been so busy doing a million things like weddings and stuff that I haven't really been to a home game.
So I'll be sitting home again tonight watching 640 start time. I think I'll be watching again and hopefully they get another bat soon. I'd like to see another playoff appearance. Could be worse. You could be a Mets fan like me, Tony.
It's been a rough year, too, but an absolute disaster. If we had anybody that could hit, I would authorize a trade to the Phillies to make you happy. I'll talk to you saying Tommy fan they want. I'll do that.
He said he's actually been a productive guy. So by all means, you can have him. All right, man. I'll talk to you very soon. Thank you so much for the time. Congratulations on a return. You got it.
Appreciate it. See you guys soon. You got Tony DeAngelo. I'm telling you, I've been saying this.
I've been saying it for two years. He is among the smartest players I have ever watched play. He can analyze a game. He is a really good. He's obviously the strength of his game is his offense. And I appreciate him calling him calling himself out about Sebastian. I appreciate that. We all have to recognize our strengths and weaknesses. And Sebastian Aho apparently is a weakness for Tony DeAngelo. Thank you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-07-25 20:49:15 / 2023-07-25 20:56:46 / 8
