Flyers acquire rights to Massimo Rizzo in small trade with Hurricanes

The Philadelphia Flyers got something back from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Tony DeAngelo, sort of.

On Wednesday, the team announced that they have acquired the rights for forward Massimo Rizzo and a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for the rights of David Kase.

David Kase was never going to suit up for the Flyers again, so he is simply just something not named future conserations, but we can consider it just future considerations.

This is almost the exact return that was rumored a couple months ago when the Flyers attempted to trade DeAngelo to the Hurricanes but the transaction got axed by the NHL. Due to the rule that a team cannot re-acquire a player on retained salary (the Flyers were going to retain 50 percent of the blueliner’s salary to make the deal work), the trade did not happen. What did end up happening was DeAngelo getting bought out by the Flyers and him signing with Carolina not soon after.

So, after a botched trade and a buyout penalty added to the Flyers’ cap for two years, they finally get what they were gunning for.

Rizzo is a 22-year-old center out of the University of Denver and most recently led the team in scoring with 17 goals and 46 points in 38 games. Scoring more points than more-hyped teammate and Detroit Red Wings prospect, Carter Mazur, in the process.

The Burnaby, B.C. native still has two more years of school, if he chooses to go, but he could sign with the Flyers at any time this summer to turn pro and start his career. If he does sign with the Flyers, due to his age, it will be on a two-year Entry-Level Contract, keeping him cheap with the organization through the 2024-25 season.

Despite scoring loads of points, his overall game still leaves some scouts questioning if he can make it professionally, and Rizzo was never really touted as a top prospect in the Hurricanes’ system. That being said, it’s something for basically nothing.