Tony DeAngelo will get another crack at living up to his innate talent and fulfilling his promise when he rejoins the Rangers’ lineup Saturday in Denver following his recall from the AHL Wolf Pack to replace the injured Kevin Shattenkirk.
“I don’t want to try to do too much, but at the same time, it’s not about me just sticking to basics,” the 22-year-old defenseman told The Post. “I think there are aspects of my game that set me apart and that’s what I’m going to try to show.
“I’ve been working on the 200-foot game, the defensive side and being more physical at times, but I think my game is opening up on offense, as long as I pick my spots.”
After being acquired from Arizona as part of the package that came East in exchange for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, DeAngelo opened the season with the Rangers and played eight games in which he recorded one assist in 12:38 of ice time per before he was assigned to the Wolf Pack.
“It’s always disappointing to get sent down, but it is what it is. It’s part of the game,” said DeAngelo, who was the Lightning’s first-round, 19th-overall selection in the 2014 entry draft before being traded to the Coyotes in 2016. “I’m looking forward to hopefully getting back in, creating some offense and helping on the power play.”
DeAngelo registered just 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 29 games for the Wolf Pack, but said that his play had improved significantly over the past few weeks, “even if the stats and production weren’t there.”
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The Rangers must have agreed in choosing to promote him rather than either Neal Pionk or John Gilmour.
“I talked to Keith [McCambridge] and he said the last couple of weeks [DeAngelo] had been very solid,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said in reference to the Wolf Pack head coach. “Solid in moving the puck out of his own end, good on the power play, and he felt he’d been playing his best hockey since coming to Hartford.”
DeAngelo worked on the second power-play unit at Friday’s practice while Ryan McDonagh assumed Shattenkirk’s spot on the first unit. Shattenkirk will be sidelined indefinitely following Monday’s scheduled surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee that he had been playing through all season.
The Blueshirts have assigned seventh-overall, first-rounder Lias Andersson to the Wolf Pack. The 19-year-old center, who had opened the season playing for Frolunda (SEL), completed rehab on the separated shoulder he sustained while captaining Sweden to the World Junior silver medal. Andersson likely will make his North American pro debut Wednesday when Hartford plays at Utica.
Marc Staal (hip pointer) and Kevin Hayes (leg contusion) will both skate Saturday morning in Colorado and Sunday morning in Los Angeles before that night’s match against the Kings. They have been ruled out of the Avalanche game, but are possible for Sunday.
The Blueshirts also recalled 24-year-old forward Daniel Catenacci from the Wolf Pack to serve as a stand-by on the four-game trip that also includes games in Anaheim (Tuesday) and San Jose (Thursday). Catenacci, who had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 23 games for Hartford, can play both wings and the middle.