NHL Rumors: Analyzing Buzz Surrounding Tony DeAngelo, Anthony Mantha and More

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and a few noteworthy moves unfolded just before it arrived Monday.

Among those was the Boston Bruins' acquisition of five-time All-Star Taylor Hall from the Buffalo Sabres. It was a tremendous move for Boston but a disappointing one for Buffalo, which only got a second-round pick, wing Anders Bjork and was forced to keep 50 percent of Hall's salary. The Sabres had little choice, though, as Boston essentially represented the only team to which Hall would accept a trade.

"Taylor felt that Boston was the team that he wanted to go to. That was where he felt was the best fit, and contractually he had earned that right to make that call," general manager Kevyn Adams said, per The Athletic's John Vogl.

While the opportunity for trades like the one involving Hall has passed, there is still plenty of NHL buzz to follow. Here we'll examine the latest.

Jim McIsaac/Associated Press

One player who wasn't traded before the deadline was New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. There was interest, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, but the Rangers didn't move quickly enough to find the right deal.

"But, we're told, there was just not enough time to enable DeAngelo to find the right fit and deal that would have brought him back into the NHL 10 weeks after his exile in the wake of the Jan. 30 post-game brouhaha with Alexandar Georgiev," Brooks wrote.

Even with a trade off the table, New York was reportedly willing to let DeAngelo make his way to another team via a buyout. However, the 25-year-old declined the offer.

"NYR were willing to mutually terminate Tony DeAngelo's contract to allow him to pass through waivers and sign as a free agent," TSN Darren Dreger tweeted. "Montreal believed to very interested as early as this weekend. However, DeAngelo opted not to accept. He will be bought out of his contract this summer."

So it appears DeAngelo will remain with the Rangers through the rest of the season. However, he won't be on the ice, as New York has kept its distance from DeAngelo since the aforementioned incident with Georgiev.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Wing Anthony Mantha was traded before the deadline. The Washington Capitals acquired him from the Detroit Red Wings for first- and second-round picks along with forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik.

While the 26-year-old's trade was a bit more surprising than the long-expected trade of Hall, Detroit had apparently known it was going to make a move before the deadline arrived.

"Sources say Detroit started to consider moving Mantha within the past few weeks and did an excellent job of keeping it under the radar," Dreger tweeted.

By keeping the team's desire to move Mantha quiet, Detroit was likely able to maximize his trade value. Teams are often willing to part with more trade capital when it believes a player isn't actively being shopped.

While the Red Wings were eager to move Mantha, they didn't tip their hand. The result was a return far greater than the one Buffalo was able to get for Hall.

Stew Milne/Associated Press

The New York Rangers officially signed prospect Zac Jones on Tuesday. The 2019 third-round pick joins the team just days after helping UMass win the collegiate hockey title.

According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Jones will come in on a three-year entry-level contract that carries an $832,500 cap hit at the NHL level and $70,000 in the AHL with a $92,500 signing bonus. The signing burns the first year of his contract.

Per Walker, Jones will not face a quarantine period and skated with the Rangers on Tuesday. However, the incoming standout doesn't know when he will get into a game.

"Jones' camp doesn’t know when/if the defenseman will get into the Rangers' lineup this season. But it appears a deal is on the horizon and Jones will burn a year of his contract," Walker tweeted before the signing became official.

With 14 games left on New York's schedule, the Rangers presumably won't wait long before getting the recently crowned national champion on to the ice. New York resides in fifth place in the East Division.