The Edmonton Oilers have had one of their key free agent additions from the offseason face a ton of criticism as the season moves along, as Andrew Mangiapane continues to struggle at both ends of the ice. While I have been a defender of Mangiapane’s defensive game since he joined the Oilers, his lack of offensive production has hurt the Oilers’ forward depth, considering his $3.6 million cap hit could be better used elsewhere as they try to contend for a Stanley Cup.
Related: Oilers’ Andrew Mangiapane Facing Unwarranted Criticism From Fans
While I still think moving Mangiapane is the wrong move, there is a realistic world where he is willing to waive his no-trade clause for a fresh start, and the Oilers free up some cap space. One team that makes sense to give him a fresh start is his former team, the Calgary Flames.
In this article, we will take a look at what it could look like if the Flames wanted to reunite with Mangiapane and what the Oilers would get in return. Keep in mind, this is simply hypothetical, and no connections have been made between the Flames and Mangiapane, nor is there any indication that a trade is close, or even being considered by the Oilers at this time.
Oilers Acquire Cap Space, Flames Add Forward Depth
The Flames have the cap space to take on Mangiapane’s full $3.6 million, but he would need to be willing to waive his no-trade clause to return to the Flames, and the Oilers would likely have to take close to nothing in return to avoid having to retain any money over the remainder of his contract, which is signed through next season.
Realistically, Mangiapane gets traded to the Flames in exchange for a late draft pick or a minor-league player like Carter King.
The Flames bring in a middle-six forward in Mangiapane, who played his best hockey when he played previously with the Flames, while the Oilers free up $3.6 million in cap space. With that, it makes it easier for the Oilers to activate players off of injured reserve, and gives them some more flexibility in hopes of making moves closer to the 2026 Trade Deadline.
Several other teams could use a guy like Mangiapane, and those teams could be open to a reclamation project since his game has suffered with the Oilers, but the Oilers won’t be getting much back in return, no matter where he ends up. The Oilers lack leverage, considering teams know they will be looking to clear up cap space to be aggressive closer to the trade deadline, and with the possibility that Mangiapane would clear waivers if ever placed on them, his value is at an all-time low.
The Flames seem like a logical fit, considering Mangiapane would likely be open to waiving to return there, and considering they would benefit from adding a depth forward who is an improvement on a few of their current bottom-six forwards.
At the end of the day, the Oilers do have some tough decisions to make, but there would be a small market for Mangiapane if he were ever made available. Elliotte Friedman hinted that Mangiapane could find himself on the outside looking in when the Oilers are fully healthy again, which led to a slew of speculation, but at this time, there haven’t been any reports indicating they are looking to move on from him at this time.
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