The Edmonton Oilers made a couple of moves ahead of the NHL trade deadline to stay competitive in the playoff race. They currently sit third in the Pacific Division with a 30-25-8 record, though they have dropped three of their last five games.
One of those moves involved a notable roster shakeup, but according to reports, things could have unfolded very differently.
Edmonton Oilers Nearly Sent Andrew Mangiapane to Maple Leafs
Edmonton struck a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, bringing in forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. In exchange, the Oilers sent Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round pick to Chicago. The Blackhawks also agreed to retain half of Dickinson’s $4.25 million salary as part of the trade.
Mangiapane had signed a two-year, $7.2 million contract with Edmonton last summer, but things didn’t go quite as planned. He began the season in a top-six role, which was where the team expected him to make an impact. However, as the season went on, his ice time began to drop, and he was eventually scratched several times, signaling that a change of scenery might be best for both sides.
Before completing the deal with Chicago, however, Edmonton reportedly explored another option. NHL insider Chris Johnston revealed, “They did talk to Edmonton, I’m told, before that deal went down with Jason Dickinson; they were willing to take back Andrew Mangiapane.” Ultimately, those talks never developed.
Chris Johnston: Re Maple Leafs: They did talk to Edmonton I’m told before that deal went down with Jason Dickinson, they were willing to take back Andrew Mangiapane – Insider Trading (3/5)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 7, 2026
The Oilers and Maple Leafs had been linked in trade speculation previously as well. Edmonton reportedly showed interest in Toronto players, including defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Nicolas Roy and Bobby McMann, during earlier trade discussions.
Instead, Edmonton continued to do business with Chicago. Two days earlier, the Oilers also acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks with 50% salary retention in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick.
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After moving Mangiapane, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman explained, “We wanted it to work, but it just didn’t. The way I look at it was that we started the year in October, and he was playing up in the top six, which is where we envisioned him finding his role this year… I’m not saying he was outstanding. I didn’t think he was actually that bad. But our team wasn’t great.”
Once he lost that top-six spot, Bowman noted, it became difficult for Mangiapane to carve out a consistent role within the lineup. With the roster moves complete, Edmonton will now focus on its next game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
