NHL contract talks often show that teams judge production and future value. On several occasions, a player signs a massive contract based on their breakout year/contract year’s performance. However, the same performance becomes hard to replicate in the subsequent year, which falls flat on expectations.
A recent comment from NHL agent Ritch Winter gives us insights into how the Calgary Flames agreed to a $17.4 million payout back in 2022.
Andrew Mangiapane Contract Talks Explained Through Agent’s Arbitration Strategy
Andrew Mangiapane signed a three-year, $17.4 million contract with the Flames in Aug 2022, carrying a $5.8 million annual cap hit. The agreement included a $1 million signing bonus in the first season and a modified no-trade clause in the final two years. The contract followed a 35-goal season that strengthened his arbitration case and made scoring numbers central during negotiations.
Mangiapane later moved to the Washington Capitals in 2024 before signing with the Edmonton Oilers in 2025 on a two-year, $7.2 million contract.
During a conversation with NHL insider Jason Gregor, Winter described how arbitration preparation influenced negotiations and helped raise contract value. He explained that teams must look at how goals happen rather than only counting totals when deciding salary numbers.
“You have to be aware of the type of goals your player scores,” Winter said, “When Andrew (Mangiapane) scored 35 goals, he had 12 broken play goals. Those are very difficult to replicate in the future, and I’m not sure if they (Calgary) had looked that deeply on how he scored and we got him a big raise.”
Winter suggested Calgary may not have focused deeply on those details, which helped the player’s camp argue for a larger deal.
This season, the 29-year-old winger plays mostly bottom-six minutes while averaging 12:42 of ice time with regular penalty kill duties. Through 49 games, he has six goals and six assists with a minus-21 rating, showing a further drop in his performance compared to his career high.
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Edmonton entered the Olympic break after defeats against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, and Flames while holding a 28-22-8 record. The team continues producing offense but faces defensive gaps and penalty kill issues that have hurt close games. This has prompted them to scratch Mangiapane in some games.
Edmonton returns after the Olympic break to play against the Anaheim Ducks in late February. Mangiapane’s future is uncertain as the Oilers assess their roster depth and loopholes.
