While all trade moves are suspended for the time being, NHL teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, are expected to use this period of relative quiet to discuss potential trade candidates and execute their plans swiftly when that time arrives.
The Oilers have lost three games before the Olympic break and absolutely must make a comeback when NHL activity resumes. Now is the time for Stan Bowman to craft the perfect roster and optimize the Oilers’ odds as we advance. Allegedly, the Oilers could welcome a former player back to the lineup in return for a contentious winger who has been the subject of endless trade rumors.
Insiders Link Warren Foegele with the Edmonton Oilers in Return for Andrew Mangiapane
Whatever Bowman had in mind when he acquired Mangiapane at the start of the last free agency has not come to fruition. Mangiapane, who is in the first year of his two-year, $7.2 million contract, has left fans woefully disappointed with his performance. The winger has also been a healthy scratch on several instances. Clearly, Mangiapane has not been a good fit for the Oilers, and his ice time has been dramatically reduced.
Moreover, according to reports, he also wants to part ways with the team. Under such circumstances, a trade seems imminent, and of course, trade rumours around the 29-year-old have grown unabated. Interestingly, according to Elliotte Friedman, the Los Angeles Kings are interested in moving 29-year-old Warren Foegele.
“Talking on TNT Thursday night, Ken Holland mentioned Warren Foegele — who has been a scratch — as someone he’ll need to move,” Friedman stated, as reported by the NHL Rumour Report.
Some see this as an ideal opportunity for the front offices in LA and Edmonton to get talking.
Sportsnet’s Mark Spector believes that the Oilers need to acquire Foegele in return for Mangiapane without a doubt. “Foegele ($3.5 M AAV thru next season) for Mangiapane ($3.6 M AAV thru next season), straight up?,” Spector speculated on his social media handle.
The similarity among the wingers’ contracts is a significant reason insiders see potential in this development. Both Foegele and Mangiapane have one year left on their contracts and comparable AAVs. “Foegele for Mangiapane. Dollars are almost equal, and both have year left,” Jim Matheson stated on his social media, expressing his confidence in such a development if it were to happen.
Moreover, Foegele has played with the Oilers before, and there is expected to be some degree of familiarity that could influence how things go. However, Mangiapane would love to play a more significant role than he currently does in Edmonton. It remains to be seen if the Kings, or any other team, can provide him that.
