The Oilers have signed free agent winger Andrew Mangiapane, the team announced last night. It’s a two-year deal worth $7.2MM for a cap hit of $3.6MM.
An overage draft pick taken in the sixth round in 2016, Mangiapane lived up to his draft billing in Calgary just by making his NHL debut, let alone breaking out for a 35-goal season in 2021-22. His offensive output has been more pedestrian since, though, and following two years in the 15-goal, 40-point range, he was traded to the Capitals for a second-round pick last summer.
In 81 appearances for Washington last year, Mangiapane scored 14 goals, 14 assists, and 28 points in 13:02 of ice time per game, with an even rating and a 52.4 CF% at even strength. It was the worst offensive output of his career aside from his rookie season.
Mangiapane was mentioned within the last couple of weeks as a free agent target for the Maple Leafs and Kraken, with the former potentially looking to plug the 29-year-old on a line with Auston Matthews in Mitch Marner’s absence to see if he can rediscover his previous offensive form. Instead, he’ll get a similar chance with a longtime rival of his in Edmonton, joining an Oilers team with questions about its depth on the wings that could be answered by putting him in a top-six role with either Connor McDavid or, more likely, on a second line with Leon Draisaitl.
After signing Mangiapane, trading away Viktor Arvidsson and Evander Kane in cap dumps, and getting new deals done for Evan Bouchard and Trent Frederic in the last few days, the Oilers are close to being capped out. They have $950,834 in cap space with a roster projection of 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders, according to PuckPedia.
Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Once Ehlers signs, are there any better players available than Rakell or Rust?
Leafs, in particular, should be in on both. Rust, especially, brings what they need.