The Edmonton Oilers have a pressing issue at hand: the team needs to address its third-line problems. The Jack Roslovic, Matthew Savoie, and Isaac Howard experiment has potential, but if the team is targeting a deep playoff run, it must explore other options.
Jeff Marek has stated that Charlie Coyle and Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets are potential candidates to help address the Oilers’ woes. Meanwhile, a particularly contentious Oilers winger has seen trade rumors surrounding him intensify with each passing day.
Trade Rumors Surround Andrew Mangiapane of the Edmonton Oilers
Regardless of what Stan Bowman had in mind when he acquired Andrew Mangiapane at the very onset of free agency, the deal has fared poorly. The 29-year-old has accumulated 11 points in 40 games with the Oilers so far this season.
His declining production has caused him to be a healthy scratch, along with fellow contentious forward Trent Frederic.
Such circumstances are conducive to the development of trade rumors, and they have. Mangiapane has been linked to the Winnipeg Jets, one team that has failed to make its mark this season.
“Andrew Mangiapane, I’m gonna give you a team, Winnipeg,” said Bob Stauffer. Elliotte Friedman also expressed his agreement to that sentiment, “Yep; I have to say it makes sense; although Winnipeg is looking for a bit of speed; they need scoring badly; they like trading for guys with term.”
Now, another team has emerged as a potential future destination for Mangiapane: the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks had previously expressed their interest in the Vancouver Canucks trade candidate, Kiefer Sherwood. But now, it is Mangiapane that the Western Conference team is eyeing.
“They were looking at Kiefer Sherwood, I think they’re looking at Andrew Mangiapane a bit; I wonder if they’re trying to see if there’s something they can do to…keep themselves in the race here,” Friedman stated, as shared by the NHL Rumour Report.
Mangiapane is on a two-year, $7.2 million contract with the Oilers, which has an average annual value of $3.6 million.
Despite his lukewarm performance with the Oilers, the 29-year-old had shown sparks of brilliance during his time with the Calgary Flames and the Washington Capitals. It goes without saying that, for one reason or another, the Oilers and Mangiapane are not a good fit.
Perhaps Mangiapane could greatly benefit from a change of scenery. Moreover, the Oilers cannot afford to lose their momentum at this point. Dom Luszczyszyn estimates the Oilers’ odds of making the Stanley Cup playoffs to be 96%.
The team is comfortably situated in the upper rungs of the standings, and after two close attempts at lifting the Cup, the blue and orange squad will do just about anything to redeem its reputation.
