The Edmonton Oilers’ biggest free agency splash came on day one when they agreed to a two-year deal with forward Andrew Mangiapane. Drafted by the Calgary Flames back in 2015, he has spent most of his professional career as a bitter rival of the Oilers. He spent last season with the Washington Capitals and then found himself on his third team in three years when Edmonton picked him up. After some consistent play with Calgary, he saw his production take a hit last season with a new team. So, although he’ll be joining another new team, this time will be different.
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The Capitals were among the best teams in the NHL last season, pulling together a squad of underrated talent (and Alex Ovechkin) to sail through the regular season. Mangiapane did make his mark, posting 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games, but everyone knows he can take it a step further. He is still the sneaky, hardworking talent Calgary drafted all those years ago. Now it’s time for the Oilers to unlock it.
He Has Talent Around Him
Don’t get me wrong, Washington had talent last season, and they still have a very strong roster. Big seasons from guys like Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Connor McMichael, and other strong players make success easy to acquire when you’re on the ice. But the skill players that will be around Mangiapane in the 2025-26 season will be a step above, making it that much simpler for him to find his scoring touch again.
Guys like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman, among others, will be playing alongside Mangiapane and helping him find his footing with his new squad. It goes without saying, I don’t need to read the resumes of any of those guys; their play speaks for itself. No matter what line he ends up on, he’ll have a chance at some high-danger offence. He played with a few different line combinations in Washington, so moving him around once he’s comfortable shouldn’t be an issue for head coach Kris Knoblauch.
With all the talent around him and the excitement of being back in Alberta, the sky is the limit for Mangiapane, and this wouldn’t be the first time he improved after a down year.
Mangiapane Has Bounced Back Before
Going into his ninth season, Mangiapane has been pretty good about weathering the storm season to season. For example, he had back-to-back 32-point campaigns in his first two full seasons in the NHL; pretty good numbers, but not near his potential. He would come up big the next two seasons by having his two biggest scoring seasons of 55 and 43 points. This included a career-high 35 goals in the 2021-22 season, the season he had 55 points. It was a significant point in his career, proving how good he really could be and how valuable he was to a contender.
So, looking at the numbers, Mangiapane is set up to do it again. With the last two seasons on the downturn and in a new environment, things should be looking up as he looks to prove himself once again. He is a scrappy forward who knows how to play physical, so pairing that with his improved offensive game could be lethal for the Oilers.
Oilers Have Seen This Once or Twice
The Oilers have been able to help players have bounce-back seasons in the past, so why not again? One prime example would be the recently departed Connor Brown. Coming off a torn ACL in the 2022-23 season, he signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Oilers to hopefully get things back on track. However, things did not go his way as he only recorded 12 points in 71 games. He played well, but his offence struggled mightily as he only found the back of the net roughly 60 games into his first season with Edmonton.
But the Oilers took another chance on him after an impressive postseason, and it certainly paid off. This past season, Brown posted 30 points in a full 82-game season, including another nearly flawless playoff season. He earned a brand-new free agent deal with the New Jersey Devils, and it’s all because both he and the Oilers kept believing and working at it.
So if Brown was able to do it coming off a big injury and a rough season after, Mangiapane absolutely can too. He’s shown what he can do with opportunity, and Edmonton is clearly the place to do it.
The pressure is on for the Oilers this season, and they’ll need all the help they can get. If new arrivals like Mangiapane can step up and provide more than what’s expected, it’ll be a dream for the team and the fans.
