Oilers News & Rumours: Mangiapane, Regula, Janmark, Ekman-Larsson

As the Edmonton Oilers look to finally win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, they seem poised to be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline. They are in dire need of cap space, and will need to find a way to shed salary if they want to make a move before Friday (Mar. 6).

In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we take a look at the Oilers’ choice to place Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula on waivers, an injury update on Mattias Janmark, and an update on a potential trade target in Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Oilers Place Mangiapane, Regula on Waivers

On Sunday (Mar. 1) afternoon, the Oilers announced that they had placed struggling forward Andrew Mangiapane and defender Alec Regula on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the American Hockey League (AHL).

The #Oilers have placed defenceman Alec Regula & forward Andrew Mangiapane on waivers.

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 1, 2026

Through 52 games this season, Mangiapane has scored seven goals and added seven assists for 14 points. Through 550 games in his career, he has scored 130 goals and added 127 assists for 257 points. Regula, who is 25 years old, has played 29 games with the Oilers this season, and he has three assists.

Mattias Janmark Dealing With Injury

According to several sources, forward Mattias Janmark is expected to be sidelined long-term with a chronic injury.

Janmark, who is 33 years old, has scored one goal and added seven assists for eight points through 43 games with the Oilers this season. Throughout his career, he has played 680 games, scoring 83 goals and adding 138 assists for 221 points.

There seems to be a chance that Janmark misses the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign as he deals with this injury, but his timeline should become clearer over the next couple of weeks.

Oilers Heavily Linked to Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Toronto Maple Leafs’ defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been heavily linked to the Oilers recently, and it seems as though he could be their number one target as the trade deadline inches closer.

Elliotte Friedman was talking about the Oilers’ plans at the deadline on a recent Saturday Headlines segment, where he said: “From what I’ve heard, I think Edmonton is looking at two possibilities: a defenceman who can play the right side, OEL has done that before, or potentially a third centre, especially if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins stays on the wing.” He continued: “They’ve got to move on from (Andrew) Mangiapane, but those are, I think, the two positions that Edmonton is considering shoring up.”

This season, Ekman-Larsson has scored eight goals and added 27 assists for 35 points through 60 games with the Maple Leafs. Through 1119 games in his career, he has scored 156 goals and added 379 assists for 535 points, which comes out to a 0.48 points-per-game average.

Ekman-Larsson is 34 years old and has a $3,500,000 cap hit, and he is extended through the 2027-28 season. He would be a cost-effective addition that the Oilers could find a way to fit into their salary cap, but the speculation surrounding the asking price could scare them away.

There is a strong belief that the Maple Leafs would be looking for a top prospect and a first-round pick in return for Ekman-Larsson, and while the Oilers need to bolster their defensive depth, that might not be the smartest thing to do, but time will tell if they end up making a move for him.

As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.