An Edmonton Oilers roster crunch could mean Andrew Mangiapane faces a trade if his production doesn't improve.
As the Edmonton Oilers finally move toward a healthier roster, difficult decisions are beginning to surface. The team placed David Tomasek on waivers, and he goes back to Europe. Noah Philp was also placed on waivers, in the hopes that he will clear and stay in the system. As for one struggling roster member, Andrew Mangiapane, things aren't so black-and-white.
Elliotte Friedman recently pointed out on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast that with key forwards returning, internal competition is increasing. He noted that both Ike Howard and Quinn Hutson are making a case for NHL looks, and Mangiapane could get caught in the middle of a roster squeeze.
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Friedman walked through the roster and the injury situations that have impacted Edmonton's ability to ice a full lineup. Now that Jack Roslovic is back, Kasperi Kapanen is nearing a return, and players like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have returned to the lineup, depth has impacted Mangiapane’s role.
After starting the season in a larger position, his ice time has dipped, including multiple games under 10 minutes recently. Friedman noted that with extra bodies becoming available, Mangiapane is one of the players whose situation could be affected.
Is Mangiapane Open to Being Traded?
While this is not being framed as a trade demand, there appears to be a growing understanding between the player and the team. Mangiapane does hold a no-move clause through mid-June, but Friedman reports that if Edmonton can identify a scenario where he would have a more prominent role, he would be open to waiving it.
It's unclear if any of those trade discussions have actually happened or if this is just a report that both sides would be amendable to exploring different options.
One thing seems clear: if Mangiapane doesn't up his on-ice production and become more of what the Oilers hoped he would be when they signed him, he will eventually find himself out of a regular role on this roster.
Ultimately, this situation is being driven by his lack of production and the increased production from players in the system like Howard and Hutson.
For now, all Friedman is reporting is that in the right situation, both sides would be willing to explore a change.
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