Penguins A to Z: Anthony Angello has shown a few things, but has he shown enough?

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 49 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Anthony Angello

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Right

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 210 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 19 games, four points (two goals, two assists)

2020-21 AHL statistics: 12 games, 10 points (six goals, four assists)

Contract: Entering the second year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $725,000. Pending restricted free agent in 2022.

(Note: The first year of Angello’s contract was a two-way deal. The second year is one way.)

Acquired: Fifth-round draft pick (No. 145 overall), June 28, 2014

2020-21 season: For a franchise short on legit NHL-ready prospects, Angello offered some hope that the Penguins could have some youthful energy on the roster this past season.

But upon the dawn of the 2020-21 campaign, Angello was relegated to the taxi squad after falling behind forward Drew O’Connor, a college free agent, on the organizational depth chart. And by Jan. 19, he was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

The bulk of Angello’s season followed a similar pattern as he was moved between the NHL roster, the taxi squad or the AHL roster upwards of 34 different times. The vast majority of those transactions were for the benefit of the team’s salary cap figure and the mechanics involved in maximizing cap space with other players on long-term injured reserve.

Angello did not break into the lineup until Feb. 28 when injuries to incumbent players dictated. Primarily deployed on the fourth line, Angello dressed for 19 of the next 20 games.

The highlight of his season was personal in nature. During a 5-2 road win against the Buffalo Sabres, Angello, a native of Manilus, N.Y., scored on a snipe of a wrister against the team he rooted for as a child:

Angello remained in the lineup until April 3. By that point, most of the Penguins‘ veteran forwards had healed from their various ailments and Angello’s only action came in the AHL.

Primarily used on the top line with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Angello showed he was still capable of producing at that level, putting up eight points (five goals, three assists) in his final 10 games of the AHL season.

For the NHL postseason, Angello was recalled and served as a “Black Ace.”

The future: With the Penguins facing a salary cap crunch, a handful of their veteran reserve forwards scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this offseason and Angello’s contract status transitioning a one-way deal, a lot of circumstances certainly bode well for his chances of opening next season on the NHL roster.

Additionally, new management — general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke — have professed a desire to add some size to a lineup that is undersized.

But while Angello is one of the biggest players in the organization, he’s not a particularly vicious entity. He uses his body effectively to win battles on the boards and to shield the puck from defenders but no one would ever confuse him with the likes of a ruffian like Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

Angello has shown some signs he can be a viable contributor at the NHL level in a fourth-line role. But has he shown enough?

He should get plenty of chances to prove he has (or hasn’t) starting next season.

Follow the Penguins all season long.