Tortorella: Comments on DeAngelo, Flyers 'pisses me off'

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella is not happy about the noise surrounding the team's off-season moves.

Speaking to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Tortorella expressed his displeasure at comments made about the Flyers acquiring defenceman Tony DeAngelo and missing out on free agent star Johnny Gaudreau.

Tortorella, who is entering his first season with the Flyers, said he couldn't say definitively whether the team would be a playoff competitor this year, while backing general manager Chuck Fletcher's decisions this summer. 

"I've got to see the players play. I know you're talking about free agency; I know that Chuck has been criticized through the free agent time here," Tortorella said. "I'm a little pissed off about some of the things said about a couple of the players and Tony DeAngelo, at least some of the things I've read. I haven't read them all, I don't spend my day trying to listen to everybody, what they're talking about.

"But everybody's upset about Johnny G, that Johnny G wasn't signed. Any general manager would be interested in a guy like that and I'm sure Chuck was. But there's sometimes the lay of the land, where your contracts are at, where your cap's at and where your team's at, quite honestly. Is it time to sign a free agent like that? I think we have a little bit of building to do here and a little bit of growing."

Acquiring DeAngelo was the biggest splash Fletcher made this month, trading three picks to the Carolina Hurricanes for the defenceman. DeAngelo had 10 goals and 51 points in 64 games last season in Carolina after playing just six games in the previous season with the New York Rangers due to a team suspension stemming from an incident with a teammate following a game.

DeAngelo was signed